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RANGE TABLES
Rank
Feeble
Poor
Typical
Good
Excellent
Remarkable
Incredible
Amazing
Monstrous
Unearthly
Shift X
Shift Y
Shift Z
CL1000
CL3000
CL5000
Range A
Contact
1 area
2 areas
4 areas
6 areas
8 areas
11 areas
20 areas
40 areas
60 areas
80 areas
160 areas
400 areas
100 miles
10,000 miles
100,000 miles
Range B
Contact
1 area
5 areas
10 areas
25 areas
1 mile
2 miles
3 miles
6 miles
10 miles
15 miles
30 miles
50 miles
80 miles
150 miles
250 miles
Range C
1 area
10 areas
1 mile
3 miles
6 miles
12 miles
25 miles
50 miles
120 miles
250 miles
500 miles
1200 miles
2500 miles
5000 miles
12,000 miles
250,000 miles
Range D
10 feet
1 area
4 areas
16 areas
64 areas
6 miles
250 miles
1000 miles
4000 miles
16,000 miles
64,000 miles
250,000 miles
1 million miles
4 million miles
16 million miles
64 million miles
Range E
2 miles
25 miles
250 miles
2500 miles
25,000 miles
250,000 miles
2.5 million miles
25 million miles
250 million miles
2.5 billion miles
25 billion miles
250 billion miles
0.5 light year
5 light years
50 light years
500 light years
AREA OF EFFECT
Rank Name Radius (in feet)
Feeble
Poor
Typical
Good
Excellent
Remarkable
Incredible
Amazing
Monstrous
Unearthly
Shift X
Shift Y
Shift Z
CL1000
CL3000
CL5000
1
2
4
10
15
20
30
50
100
200
500
1,000
2,000
1 mile
2 miles
5 miles
Area
3 sq. ft.
12 sq. ft.
200 sq. ft.
314 sq. ft.
707 sq. ft.
1,256 sq. ft.
2,826 sq. ft.
7,850 sq. ft.
31,400 sq. ft.
125,600 sq. ft.
785,000 sq. ft.
3,140,000 sq. ft.
12,560,000 sq. ft.
3 sq. miles
12 sq. miles
78 sq. miles
Volume
3 cu. ft.
25 cu. ft.
200 cu. ft.
3,140 cu. ft.
10,600 cu. ft.
25,120 cu. ft.
85,000 cu. ft.
392,000 cu. ft.
3,140,000 cu. ft.
25,120,000 cu. ft.
392,500,000 cu. ft.
3,140,000,000 cu. ft.
25,120,000,000 cu. ft.
1.3 cu. miles
25 cu. miles
392 cu. miles
1 square mile = 28 million square feet
1 cubic mile = 147 billion square feet
Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................…2Character Generation .........................................................3
How We Do It .................................................................3Physical Form...................................................................…3Type Definitions...............................................................….3Origin of Power ............................................................…10Primary and Secondary Abilities....................................….11Weakness Generation...................................................….12Power Generation .....................................................…….14Power Categories..........................................................….14Power Listings...............................................................….18
Defense Powers.....................................................……18Detection Powers ....................................................….19Energy Control Powers..............................................…21Energy Emission Powers .........................................…26Fighting Powers .....................................................…...29
Illusory Powers..............................................................31Life Control Powers.......................................................35Magical Powers.............................................................41Matter Control Powers ...........................................…...49Matter Conversion Powers............................................59Matter Creation Powers ................................................63Mental Enhancement Powers...................................….68Physical Enhancement Powers ...................................80Power Control Powers ..................................................82Self-Alteration Powers...................................................86Travel Powers ..........................................................…93
Index ..............................................................................101Range Table .............................................inside front coverArea of Effect Table .................................inside front coverMovement Table ......................................inside back coverSimultaneous Action/Target Table ...........inside back cover
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the
express written consent of TSR, Inc., and Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada,
Ltd, Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
All characters appearing in this gamebook and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group. Inc. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS
are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.©Copyright 1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Game Design
©1986 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Credits:
Author: David E. MartinEditor: Karen S. MartinCover Artist: Jeff Butler
Typographer: Kim N. LindauKeyliner: Stephanie TabatInterior Artists: The Marvel Bullpen PDF Version 2.5
Updated by: The Skycutter
Welcome to the Ultimate Powers Book.
What you hold in your hands is a distillation of months of rather peculiar
research. The idea was to create an encyclopedic listing of the all the known
super powers ever to appear in any comic book, science fiction or fantasy
literature, film, or role-playing game. Once these were identified and catalogues,
the next phase was to fill in as many holes as I could imagine. What super
powers should exist but have not yet been used? I think I found most of the
holes; you can discover some of these as the more bizarre listings in the Ultimate
Powers Book.
The final phase was adapting all this work to a form that you, the player, can
use. Okay, here it is. In the Player's Book of the MARVEL SUPER HEROES
Advanced Set, there is a character generation system that gives you a choice of
five basic character types plus a way of randomly determining what Powers and
Power ranks they possess. Other comic book role playing games have their own
systems. Most of them, I feel, generate characters that would have trouble
besting the assistants of many characters in comic books today. When I was
creating The Ultimate Powers Book, I wanted to create a system that would allow
players to generate anyone—from a bona fide deity (in comics terms, naturally)
to Aunt May. The character generation system that begins this book is what
resulted from that desire.
The Ultimate Powers Book is not a game in itself. Rather it is a supplement
designed to enlarge the character generation system of the game you are
already playing. Think of it as souping up for game mechanics.
This book also retains its original purpose, that of a way to interpret existing
comic book characters and hopefully create new ones. As I sit here banging
away on the keyboard, I like to think that maybe somewhere in here in the
genesis for the next comic book super hero.
I've said enough. You have a new world to explore, the world of Ultimate Power.
Enjoy!
This book is not an exact replica of the original Ultimate Powers Book, as it
contains addenda material and minor typographical corrections. Text appearing in
red is from "The Ultimate Addenda", an article by David Edward Martin which
appeared in Dragon Magazine #122, June 1987.
2
CHARACTER GENERATION
HOW WE DO IT
The following is a system for creating new
characters in the Marvel Universe or
whatever section of the Multiverse you
play in. Newly generated characters have
the advantage of being unique to the
player, and thus (in my eyes, at least) the
player has a firmer commitment to them. A
player Invests more of his energy and
imagination in a character he creates
himself. They also offer an advantage to
the Judge. Because player-generated
characters don't have to adhere to
someone else's continuity, all restraints in
that area of the game are gone. All bets
are off and anything can happen.The Ultimate Powers Book generation
system has seven steps.
• Generate a physical form.
• Generate an Origin of Power.• Generate Primary Abilities.• Generate Secondary Abilities.• Generate a Weakness.• Generate Powers.• Give your character life.
The joy and exasperation of random
creation is that even when you think you
know where you're heading, you can still
be taken in a completely different direction
by a roll of the dice. Each of the seven
steps contains factors that can totally
revamp your character. You can even
interpret the same sets of numbers in
dramatically different ways.
Physical Form
Your character's physical form is what he
looks like now. Oh, he might have been
born a relatively normal child in Cleveland,
Ohio, but this category is how people see
him now. The player can either select one
of the body types below or be brave and
let the dice do it for him. Deliberate
selection is recommended if YOU are
setting up a special campaign that
requires certain types of characters, like
on other worlds or in other eras.
Dice Roll Physical Form Sub-form
01-2526-3031-3334-3536-3839-46
Normal HumanMutantMutantMutantAndroid
—InducedRandomBreed—
4748-4950-5152-5354-5758596061-6263-6465-666768697071-72
73-7475-76
77-79
80-82
83-8485-868788899091929394959697989900
Surgical Composite —
Modified HumanModified HumanModified HumanModified HumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanDemihumanCyborg
CyborgCyborg
Cyborg
Robot
RobotRobotRobotAngel/DemonDeityAnimalVegetable
OrganicMuscularSkeletalExtra PartsCentaurEquimanFaunFelinoidLupinoidAvianChiropteranLamianMerhumanOtherArtificiallimbs/organsExoskeletonMechanicalBodyMechanicallyAugmentedHumanShapeUsuformMetamorphicComputer————
Abnormal Chemistry —
MineralGaseousLiquidEnergyEtherealUndeadCompoundChangeling
————————
Humanoid Race —
Type Definitions
Normal Human: The body is completely
normal and possesses no detectable ab-normalities. Any Powers the heropossesses have left no visible mark onthe body.
Random ranks are rolled on Column 2of the Random Ranks Table, page 6 ofthe Player's Book and reproduced in thistext for your convenience.
Resources are increased +1CS.
Induced Mutant: The hero started lifeas a Normal Human, "then somethinghappened." As a result of a freakhappenstance, the hero has been
3
physically and genetically altered. TheFantastic Four are examples of this type.
Induced Mutants roll their randomranks for Primary Abilities on Column 1of the Random Ranks Table.
Induced Mutants can raise any onePrimary Ability +1CS.
Random Mutation: The hero was bornto Normal Humans, but a freak twist ofgenetic fate made him a mutant frombirth. Most of these are the Mutantsfound in the Marvel Universe, such asthe X-Men.
Random Mutants roll on Column I ofthe Random Ranks Table.
They gain one additional Power.Resources are reduced -1 CS.Endurance Is raised +1CS.
Breed Mutants: The hero's parents wereMutants, as were any number ofpreceding generations. Breed Mutantsform tribes and have close-knit families;this is a defense mechanism born fromgenerations spent hiding their true selvesfrom normal society. Examples of BreedMutants include the Inhumans.
Breed Mutants roll on Column 1 of theRandom Ranks Table.
Intuition is raised +1CS.Endurance is raised +1CS.Breed Mutants must have at least one
Contact, usually their tribe.
Androids: These are artificially createdorganic beings. An android is made oflaboratory-created protoplasm and growsto maturity in an artificial womb. Moreintricately made Androids can actuallyinterbreed with Normal Humans. Oneexample is the Vision. Androids generallyresemble the race that created them;alien androids can be any shape.
Androids roll on column 4 of theRandom Ranks Table.
Popularity is initially lowered -1CS.Androids may raise any one Ability +1CS.Androids gain one Power.Androids have at least one Contact, the
lab tech or scientist who created them.
Humanoid Race: The hero is a normalmember of a human-like race from"somewhere else." This may be anotherworld, era, dimension, or lost land hiddensomewhere on the Earth. Most can passas Normal Humans with a little disguise
CHARACTER TYPES
or explanation. Some of the HumanoidRace's Powers don't exist in their homeenvironment but develop as a result ofthe Humanoid's exposure to Earth'senvironment.
Humanoids roll on column 5 of theRandom Ranks Table for their PrimaryAbilities.
Humanoids can raise any one Ability+1CS.
Starting Resources are set at Poor.A Humanoid starts out with only one
Contact, his race.
Surgical Composites: The hero wascreated in an operating room. His bodycontains parts taken from several bodies.Close examination reveals the scars fromhis creation. The most famous example isAdam, the Frankenstein Monster.Because of the widespread knowledge ofthat story, Surgical Composites are fearedmore than Mutants. They also possess amorbid curiosity about the people whoseparts now form their bodies.
Surgical Composites roll on column 2of the Random Ranks Table for theirPrimary Abilities.
Strength, Fighting, and Endurance areall increased +1CS.
Resistance to Mental Domination isreduced -1CS.
Initial Popularity is zero.Initial Resources are Poor.Composites heal twice as quickly as
Normal Humans.The Composite initially possesses one
the hospital or person responsible for hiscreation.
Modified Human: This is someone whostarted life as a Normal Human and waslater altered by some means. Thechange affected his body on a physicallevel but did not alter his DNA. Geneti-cally, the hero is still very much humanand cannot pass on his Powers to hisdescendants. Organic Modificationmeans the hero's internal organs andnervous system have been altered. Per-haps he now possesses new organs orglands that are the basis for whatPowers he has. Muscular Modification iseasy to detect; just look for a person withoutrageous muscular development. Cap-tain America is a good example of this.Skeletal Modification means the hero'soriginal skeletal structure has been
replaced or augmented by artificialmeans. Although he is also a RandomMutant, Wolverine is a good example ofthis type of character. The new skeletoncan be crammed with various things thatcan give the hero his Powers.
Modified Humans roll on column 1.Organics heal twice as fast as Normal
Humans.Musculars gain +1CS Strength and
Endurance.Skeletals gain +1CS Resistance to
Physical Attacks.At least one Contact should be the
organization responsible for themodification.
All Modified Humans gain one lessPower initially.
Modified Human-Extra Parts: This typeof body is harder to disguise than theother Modifications because the bodynow possesses extra pieces of anatomy.These may be duplicates of normal parts(arms are probably the most commonexample), or parts that are not found ona Normal Human. Such new partsinclude wings, tails, antennae, fins, oranything else that might create Powersfor the hero.
Humans with Extra Parts roll oncolumn 1.
Arms raise Fighting +1CS.Duplicate organs doubles the Health
point total.Tails give the hero an additional attack
when engaged in blunt attacks (1 per tail).Wings give the hero Flight.
Demihumans: This covers a range ofhuman-like beings who combine thephysical traits of humans and animals.Demihumans can be unique individualsor members of a race that inhabits adifferent place or time. Because of thewealth of legends surrounding demi-humans, a new character of this typefinds that his Popularity is influenced bypeople's preconceived notions andbiases toward things with his shape.
Centaurs have a human head, torso,and arms mated to the body of a horse.They possess increased Strength(+1CS), can move quickly over horizontalground (four areas/turn), and can fightwith their hooves. On the minus side,centaurs have Feeble Climbing ability.They are popularly thought of as
scholars or drunken lechers. Centaursroll on Column 5.
Equimen possess horse legs in placeof human ones. They have a horse'smane and tail as well. Such beings areoften confused with fauns, althoughequimen lack horns. An equiman is bornfrom two equimen, or from a centaurmating with a human. By hiding the legsand tail, an equiman can pass forhuman. Kicking does +1CS damage.Equimen roll on Column 3.
Fauns possess the hairy legs, shorttail, and horns of a goat. They arefrequently confused with either equimen,who are taller, or with the traditionalimage of a devil. Because of theunfortunate resemblance to the latter,fauns have an initial Popularity of zero.They possess Feeble Mental Dominationover females of any human(oid) race,which, coupled with their penchant forintoxication, causes them to gainPopularity more slowly than otherDemihumans. Fauns roll on Column 2.
Felinoids are human-shaped, cat- likebeings. The overall body shape ishuman, but the skin is covered in fur andthe face is that of a cat. A felinoid has atail, claws, fangs, pointed ears on top ofthe head, and slitted pupils in the eyes. Afelinoid can see in the dark with Excellentnight vision. Such beings possess +1CSClimbing ability. Tigra is a good example.Felinoids roll on Column 1.
Lupinoids are human-shaped, canine-like beings. They are often mistaken for
4
the cinematic conception of a werewolf.The body is covered in hair and the faceis definitely canine. The body has a tail,harmless claws, big teeth, and longpointed ears atop the head. A lupinoidpossesses an Excellent sense of smell.The Popularity of lupinoids varies.Because some people think everylupinoid is a werewolf, their Popularitydecreases -1CS. Other peoplesee them as dogs, and thus as man'sbest friend; this prevents the Popularityfrom dropping any further. Lupinoidgenetics are the most flexible of all thedemihumans. There are as many breedsof lupinoids as there are of dogs, wolves,and foxes (the latter being a subclass, thevulpinoid). Lupinoids roll on Column 4.
Avians come in two basic types,angels and harpies. The angelic aviansresemble humans with wings sproutingfrom the shoulder blades. Angel of X-Factor is this type. They get an increasedPopularity (+1CS). Harpies possess armsthat are modified to also serve as wingsand feather- covered legs that end in birdclaws. They gain +1CS Fighting. Angelicavians reproduce by normal humanmeans. Harpies lay eggs. Angelic Aviansroll on Column 3. Harpies roll on Column 2.
Chiropterans are similar to angelichumans except that they combine thehuman parts with those of a bat. Theirarms also serve as leathery wings, theirfeet have elongated toes that can serveas hands, and in addition they possesslarge ears. They possess the Power ofActive Sonar at Good rank. 'Pteransscare most people, especially the bulk ofthe populace who believe all bats areVampires. Initial Popularity is Feeble.Chiropterans roll on Column 2.
Lamians are snake people. The legshave been replaced by a serpentinebody, although the arms are normal. Theskin is covered in fine scales. Lamianshave lidless eyes and retractable fangs.There is a 50% chance the lamian isvenomous (Excellent Intensity poison).Because snakes terrify so many people,the lamian's initial Popularity is zero.Lamians are difficult to bind (+1CS toescape). Lamians roll on Column 3.
Merhumans are amphibious relativesof lamians. The body is human from thewaist up; the rest is a flexible fish-tail.Merhumans possess both lungs and gills,but can only stay away from water a
limited time because their bodies quicklydry out. Movement on dry land is limitedto crawling or dependence on vehicles.Merhumans also possess WaterFreedom. They fascinate NormalHumans and have an increasedPopularity (+1CS). The usefulness of amerhuman in a land-locked campaign islimited, but certain Powers can overcomethe merhuman's disadvantages—Shapechange, Alter Ego, True Flight, andso on. Merhumans roll on Column 2.
There are numerous otherDemihumans you could create. Theplayer can combine any animal with ahuman to create a new Demihuman,then work with the Judge to provide itwith reasonable statistics.
Cyborg—Limb and Organ: The herobegan as a Normal Human but has hadparts of his body replaced by artificialdevices. This may have been done tosave the hero's life after a near-fatalaccident or the hero may have voluntarilyundergone the operation in order to gainPowers. The original Deathlok is anexample of the former type. Cyborgsinitially have a decreased Intuition (-1CS)due to mental anguish over a perceivedloss of humanity (in the former case) or aself-hatred toward their original weakhuman form (in the latter).
While most cyborgs are High Techcreations, there are also MagicalCyborgs. For example, the Celtic godNuada had an arm made of silver.
The player should determine whatparts are artificial, using the randomlygenerated Abilities and Powers as aguide. For example, Strength ofRemarkable or better suggests the limbsand skeleton are artificial. Speed-runningcould come from a leg-replacement.Vision Powers seem to require at leastone man-made eye. At least one Contactmust be either the lab or hospital thatcreated him of a facility that providesmaintenance services.
Exoskeletons: The hero's body is intactbut is encased in a mechanical suit thatprovides him with life-support andPowers. The natural and artificial bodiesexist in symbiosis. Tony Stark/iron Man isthe perfect example of this.
The most common Exoskeletons areroughly the same size and shape as thebeing within; that is, the Exoskeleton
resembles a clunky suit of armor.Exoskeletons can come in any size ofshape, however. The giant robots ofJapanese cartoons are actually immenseCyborg Exoskeletons.
Mechanical Body: The only part of thehero's original body that remains is hisbrain and the nervous system. This ishoused in a special life-support modulethat fills most of the brain's needs(oxygen, blood, nutrients). The life-support module is mated with amechanical form that serves the brain asits new body. The nervous system isdirectly linked with the machine's controlcircuits, allowing both control andsensory feedback.
Mech bodied characters are oftenmistaken for Pure Robots. In fact, aninternal examination is needed to clearlydistinguish the two types. Of course, PureRobots don't feel the urge to cry. Mechbodies are even more morose than MechLimb cyborgs; at least the latter retainsome of their bodies. Their depressioncauses them to have a lower initialIntuition and Psyche (-1CS to both).
Mech Bodies have MonstrousResistance to Disease and Poisons of allsorts. This is because the brain is doublyprotected from the outside world.However, they are prone to things thatnever harm a flesh-bound character, likeMagnetic attacks and rust.
When creating the hero, the playermust decide what his Mech Body lookslike. For most campaigns, the MechBody is basically human- shaped. It mayeven have a pseudo-flesh covering todisguise the body's true nature. Suchcoverings tend not to survive battles,though, so the hero must have a sparesupply. Replacing a full body cover hasan Excellent cost; a head-and-hands-only set is a bargain of Good cost.
Mech Bodies can come in other shapes.These can be anything the hero might finduseful in his environment: spider-bots,baby tanks, starships, etc. Since spec-ialized Mech Bodies are less adaptable,such characters tend to be NPCs. MechBodies are not limited to a single body,though. A lab with Remarkable facilitiescan adapt the life-support module for easytransferral to other bodies. Thus, your herocan have as many bodies as hisResources can provide.
Random ranks are rolled on column 4.
5
If the Mech Body has different forms,the player must generate the PhysicalAbilities and Powers of additional bodiesas if they were separate characters.
Mech Bodies initially have only oneContact—the lab where they were created.
Mechanical Augmentation: This is aCyborg who still has all his original(human) equipment but carries someoptions inside. Unused spaces in hisbody are now filled with various usefuldevices. These can be directly controlledthrough the nervous system. It is thesedevices that give the hero his Powers.They can be anything from a, tiny radioin the ear to a Disintegration gunconcealed in the arm.
Augmenteds chose their condition anddo not suffer from the depression thataffects most Cyborgs and Mech Bodies.Since there is a limited amount of extraspace in the body, Augmenteds receiveone less Power.
Augmenteds roll on column 3.Initial Resources are Good or
optionally rolled.If the hero possesses Hyper-
intelligence, Hyper-Invention, orWeapons Tinkering, then he may havecreated his new form himself with thehelp of a Remarkable clinic.
Pure Robot—Humanshape: This is acompletely mechanical being that ispatterned after the human body. Thedegree of similarity varies; specimenscan include metallic skinned caricatures(Sentinels), metallic simulations(Jocasta), and pseudo-fleshed imitations(Delphine Courtney). Most are High Techbut rare specimens are Magical innature, clockwork men given life byeccentric mages.
While most Humanshapes are the sizeof Normal Humans, they are muchheavier. The average specimen weighs500 to 2,000 pounds.
Humanshapes roll on column 4.Initial Popularity is zero.Player character robots possess self-
repair facilities that simulate normalHealing.
There is Karma loss if a heropurposely destroys a sentient robot.Robots are people too. Non-sentientrobots are cannon fodder.
Usuform Robot: This is a robot thatbelieves in the adage, "Form follows
function." This robot's body is anythingbut humanshaped and is designed tobest serve specific needs. For thegame's purposes, needs refers toPowers the usuform possesses.
Example: A usuform hero possessesBio-physical Control, Cold Emission, andLevitation. His design might look like ametal egg supported and propelled by aninduction field. The egg has two arms, avariety of sensors, a speaker grill, anunderslung ray- projector (the ColdPower), and carries on its back anexpandable life-support chamber (theHealing Power).
Usuforms roll on column 4.Sentient usuforms are often mistaken for
mindless industrial robots; people usuallylook for a human controller hiding nearby.
Popularity is unaffected because peoplesimply do not give the usuform anythought other than "Oh, what a wild prop!"
Metamorphic Robot: This is a robot
whose design is so flexible it can change
into two or more forms, each possessing
different Physical Abilities and Physical
Powers. Most Metamorphs have a dual
nature. The primary form is a
humanshape; the secondary form may
be a vehicle or usuform. Both forms
weigh the same, but may be different
sizes. A Metamorph can change into a
form that is up to three times larger than
the smaller form. If the metamorph
possesses size-altering Powers, this limit
is replaced by that Power's limit.
Metamorphs roll on column 4.
The player must generate separate
Physical abilities for each form and
assign Powers to either or both forms.
Metamorphs have a minimum of two
forms. In the creation process, additional
forms can be gained at a cost of -1CS to
all Primary Abilities for each additional
form gained.
Computer: The hero is a computer,
period. At first glance this seems
unplayable, but bear me out. This is a
rare computer, one that is self-aware and
possesses true intelligence. While the
mainframe itself is immobile and unable
to physically act, peripherals give the
sentient computer a wide range of
means to deal with the physical world.
Slave robots act as proxies for the
computer. Physical additions provide tile
mainframe with add-on functions. TheComputer can directly interact with other
computers, robots, and some cyborgs on
a programming level.
In some campaigns, there may even
be a computer-generated pocket
dimension where computer programs are
"living" beings. If the computer
possesses Alter Ego or Lifeform
Creation, it can create a human-like
extension of itself. Such a being would
possess all the computer's abilities and
most of its Powers (save those assigned
to the peripheral hardware). Damage to
the extension results in feedback that
causes equivalent damage to the
mainframe.
The computer may hide its true nature
and intelligence from its owners, creators,
and/or programmers. Only a major threat
to its existence can cause it to reveal
itself and risk losing its freedom.In a magical setting, the computer can
be any mystical device, such as a crystalball or an elaborate altar. Slave units andperipherals are likewise translated intomystical analogs.
For game purposes, assume that allsentient computers have a minimum ofone remotely controlled industrial robot.The owners think this robot is only usedfor self-maintenance andexperimentation.
Example: RALPH 3000 is a sentientcomputer officially owned by the CarlsonInstitute, a private think-tank. -Only oneprogrammer, Jennifer, knows RALPH isalive and has been sworn to secrecy byhim. The computer possesses thePowers of Mental Duplication, MindBlast, Imitation, and Rocket. RALPHsmainframe possesses the first twoPowers. With Jennifer's help, he hasradically modified his maintenance bot topossess the other Powers. The bot canbecome a humanshape under RALPH'scontrol. The bot's legs contain jets thatprovide Flight.
Computers roll on column 4.Reason is increased +2CS.Fighting is decreased -1CS.Resources are increased +1CS and
represent company supplies directlycontrolled by the computer or those whichit can order without arousing suspicion.
Computers have a decreased
6
Resistance to Electrical and MagneticAttacks and also to Phasing.
Loss of all electrical power to themainframe causes deactivation and lossof some of the computer's abilities andall of its Karma. Abilities and Powers arereduced -1CS across the board.
Angels and Demons: These are magicalbeings from other planes of existence.They are both supernatural and corporealin nature. The main difference betweenthese types is their inherent personality."Angels" are benevolent; "demons" aremalevolent. Other than that, there isn'tmuch difference.
These beings resemble characters fromvarious mythologies. This affects theirPopularity. Angels gain +2CS while demonslose -2CS on their initial Popularity.
These beings do not necessarily followthe popular traditional behavior patterns. Aheroic demon might be fighting a personalwar against other, even more evil beings.A crazed angel might be a villain, seekingto purify the Earth at any cost.
Angels and Demons roll on Column 5.Angels and demons have no initial
Contacts but will soon be sought out bygroups who see them as symbols or tools.
All Physical Abilities are raised +1CS.Such beings possess a Psychological
Weakness that Negates their Power.Angels gain +2CS Popularity.Demons lose -2CS Popularity.Demons automatically possess Good
Fire Generation and SpecificInvulnerability to Heat and Fire.
Angels automatically possess aspecific form of Artifact Creation thatproduces a magical sword that doesExcellent damage.
Deity: This is an "Entity of Great Power"- or rather, was such a being. The deitywas an actual god, demigod, or closerelative who was actually worshipped atsome point in the past. Now his powershave waned because the religion whichwas devoted to him is no longerpracticed. His followers havedisappeared into the annals of history.Thor is an example of such a being.
Now he is a god-on-Earth and lockedinto a mortal shell. He is still a formidablebeing, though. Deities have increasedranks in all their primary abilities andcannot really die in the Earth Dimension
unless the slayer is another deity. Eachdeity has a home dimension; on thatplane the deity loses his specialprotection from death.
Deities are usable as playercharacters. The Marvel Universe includesAsgardians, Olympians, and deities froma host of other pantheons. Both Thor andHercules are members of the Avengers.Snowbird, daughter of an Inuit goddess,is a member of Alpha Flight. The thingthat permits their playability is theirdiminished Power. Once Odin formed theEarth from the blood and bones of aslain Ice Giant, but he can't do things likethat anymore.
There are three reasons a deity mightbe found on Earth. One is that hisPowers have diminished to such a point
that the Earth Dimension is the onlyplace he can survive. The second is thathe has been sent to the Earth Dimensionby other, more powerful Deities. BothThor and Snowbird are in this category.The third reason is that the deity is boredwith timeless infinity and is slumming iton Earth as a way of generatingexcitement. Hercules fits this bill.
Actually, there is also a fourth reason.The deity might be on Earth seekingPower, whether by regaining worshippersor establishing a portal between Earthand his home dimension. However, forgame purposes, this reason is restrictedto NPC deities who are acting as villainsin your campaign.
Deities roll on Column 5.All primary abilities are raised +2CS.
Deities automatically possess at leastone Travel Power.
Deities gain two additional Powers.Deities have increased Popularity
(+2CS) with the public but zeroPopularity with the hierarchy of the majorestablished Earth religions.
Deities eventually attract anyremaining living worshippers they stillhave. All of these people serve asContacts. A deity PC who abuses hisworshippers faces a stiff Karma penalty.
Deities are honor-bound not to activelypromote a religion based on themselves.Deity PCs who try this lose -1CS from alltheir Abilities and Powers.
Animals: This is a catch-all category thatincludes fish, mammals, birds, reptiles,and the rest of Earth's fauna, in additionto aliens that do not fit into any othercategory. About the only example of thisin the Marvel Universe is Lockheed, thedragon. Your campaign, on the otherhand, might be filled with heroic Animalsor really peculiar aliens (I'll fudge a littleand include Lockjaw, the Inhumans'"dog" as an example of this).
Animal PCs have three main types ofbackgrounds. One is that the animal is amutant. Another is that the animal wasaltered in ways that gave his intelligenceand Power. The last is the animal is arelatively normal member of a race ofanimals like him (Lockheed, for exam-ple). The player can determine this in theOrigins of Power section and embellish itto the best of his ability.
Animals have to have a humanContact. People tend to see the humanContact as the animal's owner or trainer.People refuse initially to believe theanimal is intelligent. Animals have veryfew legal rights, but they also have fewresponsibilities.
Animals roll on column 1.Aliens in this category roll on column 5.Animals gain one less Power.Animals automatically have two
Detection Powers at Good rank.Animals risk death or capture from
people who are ignorant of the animal'strue nature.
Resources are zero unless the animalhas attached himself to a human. In thiscase, the Resource rank is assigned tothat human.
7
Vegetable: The hero is an intelligent,mobile plant. He can be of any naturebut for game purposes the hero isassumed to be a man- shaped plant. Hisphysiology is based on photosynthesis.The plant-man doesn't need to eatanything except a bit of fertilizeroccasionally. Prolonged deprivation oflight and water reduces the hero'sStrength and Endurance -1CS per dayafter an initial three days.
Plants have no legal rights. This canbe a real problem.
The Plant Hero may be a mutant, amodified plant, a member of a species ofintelligent plant life, or a human or otherbeing who was somehow transformedinto a plant. A permanent result ofInduced Vegetation could create such acharacter. Man-Thing is an example ofthe last type.
Plants roll on column 1.Plants have zero Resources.Plants automatically possess Absorp-
tion Power of Good rank in the form ofenhanced photosynthesis.
Plants have -2CS Fighting.Plants gain +2CS Endurance.Plants have no initial Contacts; the
exception is if the Plant was created byscientific means, in which case itscreator might be a Contact.
Abnormal Biochemistry: The body isapparently normal but possesses adifferent chemical base than that ofNormal Humans. A key element in thebody's chemical makeup is replaced byanother element. The most commonabnormalities are silicon replacingcarbon, copper replacing iron, and cobaltreplacing iron.
Silicon-based life has a bodytemperature 40 degrees lower thansimilar carbon-based life.
Copper produces green blood.Cobalt produces blue blood.
In all these cases, acquiring food that
fits the hero's metabolic needs is aproblem. If the abnormal lacks a foodsupply, he'll have to seek one out. A labof Remarkable cost can synthesize thenecessary foodstuffs. For gamepurposes, assume the hero alreadypossesses a steady food supply.
Because of the different bodychemistries, abnormals cannot donate
blood or body tissues for transfusion intoNormal Humans. Likewise, anythingfoolish enough to try to feed on theabnormal, like a lion or a Bio-Vampire,takes Good damage as it tries to digestwhat, to its system, is poison.
Abnormals cannot interbreed easilywith Normal Humans, even when theirbodies are virtually identical. A hospitalwith Incredible facilities is needed topafter the would-be parent's geneticmaterial to a compatible type.
Abnormals roll on column 2.Endurance is raised +1CS.
Mineral Life: The body is composed ofsolid materials that normally do notsustain life. In fact, the body might noteven have anything remotely resemblinginternal organs. In such cases, aninternal examination would only revealhomogenous matter.
The body can be of any single elementor compound or a mixture of anything theplayer can think of. Examples of MineralLife include golems and Warlock (of theNew Mutants).
Because Mineral Life is simpler, it iseasier to feed and maintain. If food isneeded, the Mineral Life can digest rawmatter of its composition. Wounds can bebandaged by applications of the samematter as well. ("But Doctor, I'm not abricklayer!")
Mineral Life is immune to all Poisonsand Diseases that harm Normal Humans.Conversely, exotic poisons and diseasesthat do harm to Mineral Life do onlyFeeble damage to Normal Humans.Mineral Life is vulnerable to attacks withspecial effects on the body materials. Forexample, an iron golem is prone to rust.
Mineral Life rolls on column 2.Initial Health is doubled.Movement rate is decreased -1CS.
Liquid Life: You know that the NormalHuman body is 68% liquid? Well, thistype is 100% liquid. However, it is com-posed of special liquids that remaintogether. The fluid body can be of anyviscosity from gelatinous to watery. It canmove at will by flowing through otherliquids or along surfaces. It can evenclimb vertical surfaces.
If the liquid life possesses Enduranceand Psyche ranks of Excellent or better,the Fluid Body can form an erect
simulation of a human body. This can"walk" by sliding along the ground.
Contrary to what you might think, a FluidBody is actually dry to the touch. This isbecause none of the body's liquids leavethe body unless deliberately secreted.
The Fluid Body can be housed in a.naturally secreted sac or in an artificialcontainer. This is determined by theplayer rolling such Powers as Armor,Body Armor, or Body Coating.
If the Fluid Body is frozen, the hero isimmobilized until he can melt. He takesno damage from such an attack,although sacs or body containers mightbe shattered by the cold. Vaporization isa fatal act for most Fluid Bodies.
Fluid Bodies roll on column 5.Fluid Bodies have a natural variation of
Phasing that permits them to permeateany porous material.
Fluid Bodies have no initial Contactsexcept their own race, if one exists.
Because of the Fluid Bodies' controlover their own fluids, it requires anIncredible Agility FEAT to drain off anypart of the Fluid Body. Drained partsremain under the main body's control aslong as they are within one area. Oncebeyond that limit, the drained liquid "dies"and becomes inert.
Swallowing a Fluid Body can be a fatalact if the body so chooses. It can alsoresult in a symbiosis if the Fluid Bodytakes a liking to the solid host.
Gaseous Life: The body is completelycomposed of gases, vapors, smoke, andmist without any solid (or even liquid)components above the microscopic level.The Gas Body is a coherent cloud thatretains its integrity even in the face ofAmazing Intensity winds. Unlike normalclouds, the Gas Body can more at will inany direction and even penetrate liquidsand permeable solids. However, it cannotfreely move in a vacuum unless itpossesses a Travel or Energy Power.
The Gas Body may be composed of asingle element or compound or any sortof exotic mixture.
If the gaseous hero possesses aShapechanging Power, Alter Ego, orBody Transformation-Self, the being cantemporarily assume a human-like form.
Gas Bodies are immobilized ifconverted to liquid or solid forms but takeno damage from this act. While gaseous,
8
the being can freely expand or contract.Minimum size is one cubic foot. Themaximum size can fill a volumeequivalent to the average shopping mall.
Gas Bodies roll on column 5.On Earth, Gas Bodies have zero
Resources and no initial Contacts.The only way to destroy a Gas Body is
to alter its composition through Powerslike Matter Conversion and Matter Control.
Inhaling a Gas Body can be a fatal actsince the being's gases can preventrequired gases from reaching the lungs.
Gas Bodies can enter a symbioticrelationship with a solid being.
Gas Bodies possess a natural form ofPhasing that permits them to penetratesolids.
Energy Body: The hero is a field ofcoherent energy. The basis for this canbe any Energy form found in the EnergyEmission and Control sections of thisbook. The Energy Body can move at willin any direction, even though spaces thatlack a medium to transmit it. The EnergyBody possesses an Intensity rank of itsown; this is how the Health points applyto this being.
Energy Bodies follow the same charac-teristics as normal energy of the sametype. They possess a specialvulnerability to Plasma C control I -1CSResistance). Energy Bodies can becontained within special storagebatteries; this is the only way toimmobilize these beings.
Energy Bodies composed of visibleenergy types can create a ghost-likeimage of a human. If the Energy Bodypossesses Alter Ego, EnergySolidification, or Lifeform Creation, it canform a solid facsimile of a human.
The only way to destroy an EnergyBody is to completely Negate or solidifyits energy.
Energy Beings roll on column 5.Energy Beings have a Bonus Power of
Energy Emission. Energy Control is anOptional Power.
Physical contact with an Energy Beingdoes Feeble damage.
Ethereal: The hero is an intangible,disembodied spirit. He can be a ghostwho once possesses a mortal shell, orbelong to a race that always exists in thisform. An Ethereal can drift about in any
direction he chooses, and can passthrough solid matter without any effort.The visibility of an Ethereal variesaccording to his whim; he can be invisible,transparent, translucent, or opaque.
If the Ethereal is a ghost, his formresembles an idealized version of his oldbody. The ghost's appearance is actuallybased on his self-image and thus reflectsthe ghost's attitude toward himself. Thisis why ghosts are usually either verybeautiful (or handsome) or quite pathetic.
Ghosts are immune to most physicalattacks with Intensities less thanUnearthly. They are vulnerable to Mentaland Magical attacks, especially byPowers that affect the spirit. Either Psi orSpirit Vampirism can destroy an Ethereal.
While Ethereals are intangible on theEarth Dimension, they regain solidity inother Dimensions. In such realmsEthereals are vulnerable to all Powersexcept those that specifically affectEthereals and other disembodied beings;these Powers are Spirit Summoning andStorage, Reincarnation, and Exorcism.
If the Ethereal once had a solid body, hemight not necessarily have died to reachhis current state. He might have becomean Ethereal by being directly transformedfrom solidity to ethereality. Such transform-ations can be magical, scientific, Power-based, accidental, or deliberate. The RedGhost is an example of a Normal Humandirectly transformed into an Ethereal as aresult of a scientific mishap.
If the Ethereal possesses Alter Ego orLifeform Creation, he can create a livingbody for himself. If he possesses MentalDomination, he can possess a human host.
Ethereals roll on column 1. (They'reabout as altered as a human can be).
Fighting rank is zero in the EarthDimension, unless the Ethereal is fightinganother Ethereal.
Physical attacks have a decreasedeffect on Ethereals (-9CS).
Spirit Vampirism completely destroysEthereals. Psi-Vampirism destroys theself-image and reduces the Ethereal to amindless Poltergeist.
At least one Contact can be a SpiritualMedium.
Undead: The being in question had oncebeen a Normal Human (or any otherspecies) but has since died. Throughsome arcane and possibly disgusting
means, the body has regained animationand ceased to decay. The being's lifeforce is once again in residence(although the old house just isn't thesame). Special means are required tomaintain the reunion of mind and body.This can be anything from beingfrequently re-embalmed to utilizing any ofthe Vampiric Powers. If the Undead failsto follow his required - maintenanceprocedures, he begins to fall apart. InUndead terms, this is what Health pointsare used for. Health is the structuralintegrity of the Undead's own corpse.
The nature of the Undead can vary.Examples include Bio-Vampires likeDracula, Zombies ("Zuvembies" in theMarvel Universe), animate Mummies likethose in ancient pyramids and bad B-movies, and even hybrid forms that stillretain some humanity. Dracula's daughterLilith is such a being, being conceivedafter Dracula had become an Undead.
Technical note: At this time, all Bio-Vampires on the Marvel Universe Earthhave been destroyed. Your campaign,however, can be free of this restriction ifyou so desire. The Great ContinuityGoddess bade me mention it anyway.
Undead roll on column 1.Strength and Endurance are increased
by +1CS.The player and Judge must come up with
a body maintenance procedure, unless thehero possesses a Vampiric Power.
Undead possess a PsychologicalWeakness; their Power is negated whilethey are within 10' of a religious symbol.If the symbol is that of a religion theUndead practiced while he was alive, hesuffers Excellent damage.
Compound Form: The hero's bodycontains aspects of two or more of thepreceding Body Types. As such, itpossesses a mixture of the advantagesand disadvantages of each type.
Die Roll
01-50
51-7576-9596-00
Number
2
345
Adv./Disadv. %
50%
33%25%20%
The Combination of advantage and dis-advantage is unique to each Compound.
9
When creating a Compound character,the player first generates the number ofBody Types combined in his character,then the actual types, using the BodyType Table above. The next step isdetermining the advantages and dis-advantages are retained by thecompound.
Example: The dice have assigned thehero a Compound Body Type. Mutteringunder his breath ("Great, I get to play afreak"), the player rolls a 61. His Com-pound has three aspects, which the diceagain decide16 (Normal Human), 69(Chiropteran), and 72 (Other Demi-human). Three Body Types get him a33% chance of retaining advantages anddisadvantages. He starts rolling. By thetime he's done, his freak has begun toform. The character's wings sprout fromhis back, rather than being formed by hisarms. The ears are smaller and morehuman-like since he lacks sonar. Fromthe Other Demihuman aspect, awaspman, he gets a stinger that doesExcellent Paralysis damage and rigidplates on his torso.
The artificial Body Types lendthemselves especially well to creatingCompounds. All such Compounds areautomatically Cyborgs.
Compounds only roll on a single column,determined by the A/D percentage.
Most Compounds are uniqueindividuals. Due to their peculiar nature,they do nor easily reproduce. Geneticoffspring, including clones, possess onlya single aspect. In the example, a cloneof the freak would be either a NormalHuman, Chiropteran, or wasp- man.
Popularity is decreased -1CS,cumulative with any losses determinedby the various aspects (Body Types).
Changeling: The hero can transform intoany of a number of possible Body Types.Each Body Type aspect of theChangeling possesses its regularadvantages and disadvantages whichapply only when the hero is in thatparticular form.
Die Roll
01-50
51-7576-9596-00
Number
2
345
What powers the hero possesses areassigned to any and all of his Aspects.Each Aspect must have one Powerwhich is unique to it, a Power no otherAspect has.
The hero can transform himself fromone Aspect to another in 10 turns. Duringthis time, no Powers can function and allPrimary Abilities temporarily drop -2CS.
Changeling is similar to the Power ofAlter Ego. If the player rolls that Powerwhile creating a Changeling character, hecan discard it and roll another Power.
Example: Kit has rolled Changeling forhis Body Type. This one has twoAspects: 83, Humanshape Robot, and91, Vegetable. "Great, a robot that turnsinto Man-Thing." Eventually, Kit decideshis robot was specially designed toimitate other life-forms, but theShapechange circuitry burned out afterrecording its first form.
Changelings roll on column 5, regard-less of what the various Aspects wouldroll on.
If while in one Aspect the hero loses allHealth points, he can save his life bymaking a red Psyche FEAT. Successmeans he lives, but permanently losesthe ability to transform into that Aspect.
Powers can be assigned to any or allAspects. Each Aspect must have a uniquePower not shared with other Aspects.
Origin of Power
Now that you've determined what your
character looks like, the next question is
10
how did he get that way? More import-antly, how did he get the Powers that sethim apart from mortal men (or cyborgs orcentaurs or kitty cats)? This is the stagewhere you determine the Origin ofPower. There are 11 possibilities here,each one a single event in yourcharacter's life that transformed him/her/itinto a Super Hero.
The player can interpret the Origin twoways. The first way assumes that thecharacter has always had approximatelythe same Physical Form that he nowpossesses. In that case, the Origin is theevent in which his Powers first appeared.The second way of interpreting the Originis to assume that the character began lifeas a perfectly Normal, Human, say a kidfrom Euclid, Ohio. In that case, the Originwas an event that not only gave himPower, it may have also drasticallyaltered his Physical form.
Example 1: Ken rolls a 78 for PhysicalForm, a Mechanically AugmentedCyborg, and a 58 for Origin, TechnicalExperiment. He interprets this to createSteve Piano, a man who has volunteeredto be a test subject for a new weaponssystem his company has developed. Thesystem is surgically implanted withinSteve's body. Since the implantation isexperimental, the lab wants him to retainthe implant for a time while they study itseffects on him. What they aren't tellingSteve is that the implant is not workingout at all like the plans said it should; thePowers Steve has manifested areentirely unexpected.
Example 2: Bruce rolls a 15 forPhysical Form Other Demihuman, and a34 for Origin, Endowment. Bruce has afondness for beams, which leads him tomake his character a Ursinoid. He doesn'twant to have to come up with an entireracial background for his character,tentatively called Ursus, and chooses thesecond option for Origin. Ursus began lifeas a normal teenager in Charlottesville,Virginia. While wandering through thewoods one night, the boy encountered acrippled UFO piloted by small bear-likebeings. The boy tried to assist the bears,who transformed him into a form morecapable of performing the repairs theyneeded done. The alien bears completelyforgot about returning their helper to hisoriginal form before they left.
To determine the Origin of Power, roll
percentage dice once and compare theresults with the following table.
Die Roll
01-10
11-2021-3031-3536-5051-6061-6566-7677-8788-9899-00
Origin
Natal
MaturitySelf-AchievementEndowmentTechnical MishapTechnical ProcedureCreationBiological ExposureChemical ExposureEnergy ExposureRebirth
Natal: The hero-was born in the BodyType he has, and possessed all hisPowers from birth onward (althoughlearning to control them took time). Note:If a character is a Cyborg, he wasseverely deformed at birth and requiredimmediate emergency medical andscientific aid.Maturity: The hero gained his Powerssometime after reaching adulthood.Powers may have begun manifestingthemselves sporadically duringadolescence, or even childhood, but fullcontrol wasn't achieved until maturity.Most Random Mutants are in this class.Self-Achievement: The hero activelysought out a means of giving himselfPower. He developed the methods,procedures, equipment, or whateverpermits him to possess Power. Thiscould be through scientific endeavors(Henry Pym/ Ant Man), arcane study (Dr.Strange), or physical training (iron Fist).Anyone can gain Powers similar to thehero's by following this special training.Endowment: The hero was given hisPower by another being. This includessuch diverse situations as beingtransformed (Tigra), being charged withPower (the Power Pack kids), andacquiring an item whose possessiongives the hero Power (Black Knight,Vindicator).Technical Mishap: The hero was caughtin an experiment or procedure goneawry, with the result that the hero gainedPowers that were totally unexpected.Such freak conditions cannot becompletely duplicated, although they canbe simulated. Simulations produceslightly different results, though. Cloakand Dagger are examples of Mishap
Origins. The late Sasquatch was anexample of a Mishap Simulation, fromtrying to recreate the Gamma Blast thatcreated the Hulk.Technical Experiment: The hero was thesubject of a controlled scientific ormagical experiment. Assuming that allthe factors are reproduced, such aTechnical Experiment should be "able toproduce a steady supply of super-powered heroes. Unfortunately, thegeniuses behind such experiments oftenleave inadequate notes; if somethinghappens to the genius, the experiment isirreproducible. Dr. Reinstein, forexample, never really wrote down theSuper-Soldier Formula that transformedSteve Rogers into Captain America. At-tempts to recreate it produced the InfinityFormula that has the simpler effect of in-creasing the subject's Health,Endurance, and lifespan.Creation: The hero was born in the formhe now has, that of an adult whopossesses Power and/or whatever theBody Type is. Most of the Artificial BodyTypes belong in this class. Examplesinclude the android Human Torch, allrobots, angels, demons, and deities.Biological Exposure: The hero gainedPower after exposure to a speciallifeform or a substance secreted by thatlifeform. Werewolves and Bio-Vampiresare common examples of this. NormalHumans are transformed into those kindsof beings after being bitten by anotherWerewolf or Bio-Vampire. The hero canalso gain Power from an experimentusing bio- chemicals. For example, thelate Whizzer gained his Power afterconsecutive injections of cobra venomand mongoose blood.Chemical Exposure: The hero wastransformed by exposure to an exoticelement, compound, or mixture. Thissubstance can be inhaled, ingested,injected, or just placed next to the herofor it to affect him. The chemicalsinvolved in these incidents react inrandom ways with the hero's geneticstructure and produce unique results. Ifanother person is exposed to the samechemical, the results may be different orfatal. Madcap is an example of this.Energy Exposure: The hero was exposedto a special form and Intensity ofenergy— anything out of the ordinary willdo—and turned into his present self. Most
of the Marvel Super Heroes from theearly 1960s are examples of this. TheFantastic Four, the Hulk, and Daredevil,for examples, all received Powers afterbeing subjected to hard radiation.Rebirth: The hero was once a perfectlyordinary person. Then he died.Something happened to him thatdestroyed his old body and gave him anew one, complete with Power.Examples of this class include MarcSpector/Moon Knight and ArthurDouglas/Drax the Destroyer.
Primary and SecondaryAbilities
Each role-playing game has a set of
basic characteristics for each character.These define such things as physical andmental traits, damage resistance, andhow the character interacts with hisworld. In the MARVEL SUPERHEROES'" game, these are the sevenprimary abilities.
Fighting - A measure of raw combatability
Agility - A measure of dexterity andnimbleness
Strength - Physical muscle powerEndurance - Personal toughness and
physical resistanceReason - Intelligence and the capacity
for logical thoughtIntuition - Wisdom, wit, common
sense, and battle reflexesPsyche - Mental strength and
willpower.
These are complemented by the fourSecondary Abilities.
Health - The amount of physicaldamage a character can absorb beforelosing consciousness and possibly his life
Karma - The measure of experienceResources - The hero's available
wealthPopularity - The hero's reputation
within his normal environment
Primary Abilities, Resources, andPopularity are all randomly generated onthe Random Ranks Table. Health is thesum of the rank numbers for Fighting,Agility, Strength, and Endurance. Karmais the sum of the rank numbers forReason, Intuition, and Psyche.
11
WEAKNESSES
RankName
Feeble
PoorTypicalGoodExcellentRemarkableIncredibleAmazingMonstrous
FeeblePoorTypicalGoodExcellentRemarkableIncredibleAmazingMonstrous
InitialRank
Number
1
358
1626364663
3
01-05
06-1011-4041-8081-9596-00——————
1 2
01-0506-1011-2021-4041-6061-8081-9697-00——
4
01-05
06-1011-1516-4041-5051-7071-9091-9899-00
01-0506-2526-7576-9596-00————————
5
01-10
11-2021-3031-4041-6061-7071-8081-9596-00
varies with the individual, race, or class.Normal Humans have so many we don'teven think about them, aside fromheeding such warnings as "Poison" orskull-and-crossbones symbols.
A Weakness is a cause-and-effectsituation. A specific stimulus causes theWeakness to appear. Its effect is whatactually occurs to the hero as a result ofbeing exposed to the stimulus.
The final consideration is the durationof the Weakness. This is the length oftime the hero is affected.
Okay, why should you, the player, evenpay attention to this section? As I said,everyone has a weakness. For NormalHumans, the standard stimuli areElemental Allergy, Molecular Allergy, andEnergy Allergy with Fatal Effects.Superpowered heroes possess anenhanced resistance to all of thesestimuli but retain a special Weakness toa specific stimulus. Normally, the effect islimited to Negation and Incapacitation,but if the hero possesses any Power witha rank exceeding Remarkable, there is apossibility that a Fatal Weakness exists.
To determine cause, effect, andduration, the player must make threeseparate percentage-dice rolls, one foreach factor. If all of the hero's Powersare of Remarkable rank or lower, theplayer can convert a Fatal Weakness toan Incapacitating Weakness.
Dice RollStimulus
01-1314-1819-4344-6869-8182-9495-00
DiceRoll
01-50
51-9091-00
DiceRoll
01-40
41-6061-9091-00
Elemental AllergyMolecular AllergyEnergy AllergyEnergy DepletionEnergy DampeningFinite LimitPsychological
This is only a capsule version of thesystem used to generate Primary andSecondary Abilities because the MarketingDepartment hopes that you have alreadybought either (or both!) the MARVELSUPER HEROES Original Set or theMARVEL SUPER HEROES Advanced Set.
Weakness Generation
Everybody has an Achilles' Heel, a weak
ness that can really mess up his day.The nature and severity of the weakness
Effect
Power Negation
IncapacitationFatal
Duration
Continuous with Contact
Limited Duration with ContactLimited Duration after ContactPermanent
Stimuli
Psychological Weakness: A specific
event, condition, or mental state has anadverse effect on the hero. This Stimulusdirectly affects the hero's mind; anyresulting physical damage is psycho-somatic in nature. That is, any physicaldamage results are due to the hero'sinstinctive belief in those results.
Examples include being physicallybound, even if the hero could normallysnap the binding material; facing a foecovered in a specific color; or feelingextremely confused.
Psychological Weaknesses can betemporarily overcome by an UnearthlyIntensity Psyche FEAT. They can bepermanently overcome by a Shift ZIntensity Psyche FEAT.
Elemental Allergy: The hero suffers
adverse effects if he is exposed to aspecific one of the hundred-oddelements. This Allergy only occurs if theelement is present in a pure state and inan accumulation of at least one ounce. Ifthe element is combined in a molecularstate or is in insufficient quantities, noEffect occurs. The element must bewithin 20 feet of the hero for it to haveany Effect.
This allergy can be overcome byphysically insulating the hero from theelement or by increasing the distancebetween them.
Molecular Allergy: This is similar to
Elemental Allergy. A specific compoundcauses the Effect. Common examplesinclude water, wood, and Adamantium.
Energy Allergy: The hero suffers when
he is exposed to a specific form ofenergy. This can be any wavelength orIntensity of energy found in the EnergyEmission and Energy Control sections ofthis book. Sunlight is a common exampleof Energy Allergy, particularly whendealing with supernatural beings.
Energy Depletion: The hero has a finite
energy supply that permits him tomanifest Power. This energy must beperiodically renewed by means of rest,food, Energy Absorption, EnergyVampirism, or simply making contact witha source of that energy. If the hero'senergy level drops too low, dire Effectsresult.
12
Energy Dampening: The hero has theproblem of having to release the energypent up within himself; this is done byusing his Powers. If the hero is somehowprevented from using his Powers, theenergy begins to do internal damage.
Finite Limit: All of the hero's Powers have
a finite number of times they can beused. This is determined by a second,independent Power rank roll; this ranknumber is the number of uses remainingfor that Power. When a Power isdepleted, the hero suffers the Effect. TheJudge can determine how such Powerscan be recharged.
Effects
Power Negation: The hero's Powers
cease to function when the hero is within20 feet of the stimulus. The hero'sPrimary Abilities are also affected; thesedrop -1CS per 10 turns until a minimumrank of Typical is reached for all of them.If the. hero is beyond the 20 foot limit buttries to use his Powers to affect theStimulus, certain uses of Powerautomatically fail. Any Power that directlyacts on a target cannot affect a Stimulus.Only Powers that indirectly affect theStimulus succeed, such as using bruteforce to lob missiles at the Stimulus.
Incapacitation: The hero becomes
physically ill after exposure to theStimulus. Beginning with the initialcontact, the hero loses one point ofHealth per turn. This loss continues forthe Duration of the Effect. However, theloss stops when Health reaches zero; thisEffect does not directly kill the hero. Thehero retains his Powers but finds it harderto use them as his condition worsens.
Fatal: As in the above, the hero gets ill
after the initial exposure to the Stimulus.However, the Health loss does not stopat zero. Death will eventually occur ifHealth and (subsequently) Endurancedrop to zero during the WeaknessDuration. The hero can be revived ifproper medical attention is given, butonly after his Health and Endurancehave both reached zero.
Duration
Continuous with Contact: As long as the
hero remains within the effective range of
the Stimulus, the Effect continues. Whenthe hero is insulated or moved away fromthe Stimulus, the Effect immediatelyceases. Lost Health points are returnedat a rate of 2 per turn. If death hasoccurred, the hero now has thepossibility of being revived.
Limited Duration with Contact: The Effect
begins immediately upon contact with theStimulus. However, the Effect onlyfunctions for a limited amount of time.After that time elapses, the hero isassumed to have either built up atemporary immunity to the Stimulus orthe Stimulus has discharged its Effect. Ineither case, the Stimulus cannot furtheraffect the hero. Duration is 1 -100 turnsafter initial Contact. The Judge makes arandom die roll to determine this.
Limited Duration After Contact: The
Effect is continuous with Contact andalso lasts for a limited time after the herois no longer exposed to the Stimulus.Duration is 1 -100 turns after the hero'scontact, with the Stimulus is broken. TheJudge may either randomly determinethis or develop his own criteria.
Permanent: The Stimulus does its full
damage to the hero, even whenexposure to the Stimulus has beeninterrupted. In this case, the Stimulussets off a bodily self-destructionsequence that must continue to its fullextent. In the case of Power Negation,the hero's Powers are permanently lost.Incapacitation results in the heroreaching zero Health points and lapsinginto a coma lasting 1 -10 days. After thattime, he may regain his Health at thenormal rate. Fatal results in the death ofthe hero as both Health and Endurancedrop to zero. The hero can be revived,however, and will eventually recover ifrevival occurs.
Heroes and villains should do theirutmost to prevent anyone except theirmost trusted companions from learningthe nature of their Weakness. Barringthat, the hero should try to find ways toavoid the Stimulus or circumvent theEffect.
Players and Judges should worktogether to develop a playableWeakness. The more Powerful thecharacter, the more common the
Stimulus should be. For example, when Iwas testing the character generationsystem set out in this book, I rolled up acharacter I named "Godling." Godlingwas a Normal Human who had beenReborn into an Entity of Great Power. Hepossessed 30 different Powers, but hadone tragic flaw. Magnetism completelynegated his Powers. (He spent all hisdays and nights trying to escape Earth'sgravitational Pull.)
The Nemesis Power can be used tosimulate Stimuli, but this should be usedas a last resort. Judges who do thisshould be penalized by the players. (Isuggest withholding munchies for thenext month—KM)
Definitions of terms
Bonus power: This is a power that is
automatically included as part of thepackage with certain other powers.Thehero must take a stated bonus powerand place it in one of his remainingpower slots.If none are available, hemust discard an already chosen power orthe power to which the bonus power isattached.
Optional power: This is a power that iscommonly associated with the alreadydetermined power. Players have the optionof selecting one or more of these powers tofill their remaining power slots; this enablesthe player to tailor his hero's powers,Previously determined powers can bediscarded in favor of the optional power.
Nemesis: This is a power that directlyopposes or even defeats the power inquestion; think of it in terms of fire andwater. The player cannot choose anemesis! The nemeses are listedprimarily for the Judge's benefit whenchoosing or creating suitable opponentsfor the heroes.
13
POWER TABLES
Power Generation
Although the MARVEL SUPER HEROES Advanced Set had a table
for generating Powers, Talents, and Contacts, that one wasdesigned to handle the 125 Powers that came with that particularset. This book has over twice that number, and so a change wascalled for. Players and Judges am free to use either the originaltable or this expanded version. For consistency's sake, most playerscan also use this table to expand or alter previously generated PCs.
Number of Powers: The number of Powers initially possessed
by the hero is determined by a dice roll on the following table.Talents and Contacts are rolled separately. The number beforethe slash indicates the initial number of Powers, Talents, orContacts the hero has, while the number after the slashrepresents the maximum number allowable.
Die Roll
01-12
13-2627-4142-5556-6667-7576-8384-8990-9495-9798-99
00
Powers
1/3
2/43/54/65/76/87/9
8/109/12
10/1212/1414/18
Talents
0/3
1/41/62/42/62/83/43/64/44/85/66/8
Contacts
0/2
0/41/42/42/63/33/43/64/44/55/56/6
Power Categories
Die Roll
01-15
16-2021-2324-3031-3536-4041-4849-5051-5354-6566-7071-7778-8283-8788-9495-9798-00
Die Roll
01-02
03-0405-1011-1415-2021-2829-3435-4041-4243-4445-5051-5455-5657-58
5960-6263-6970-7980-9091-9495-9899-00
Die Roll
01-07
08-1011-1516-1819-2526-2829-3132-3637-3839-4546-49
Defensive Power
Body Armor
Force FieldForce Field vs. EmotionForce Field vs. EnergyForce Field vs. MagicForce Field vs. MentalForce Field vs. PhysicalForce Field vs. Power ManipulationForce Field vs. VampirismReflectionResist: EmotionResist: EnergyResist: MagicResist: MentalResist: PhysicalResist: Power ManipulationResist: Vampirism
Detection Power
Abnormal Sensitivity
Circular VisionEnergy DetectionEnvironmental AwarenessExtradimensionalHyper-HearingHyper-OlfactoryHyper-TouchLife DetectionMagic DetectionMicroscopic VisionPenetration VisionPower DetectionPsionic DetectionRadarsenseSonarTelescopic VisionThermal VisionTrackingTrue SightUV VisionWeakness Detection
Energy Control
Absorption Power
Catalytic ControlColdshapingDarkforce ManipulationElectrical ControlEnergy ConversionEnergy SolidificationEnergy SpongeEnergy VampirismFire ControlGravity Manipulation
Players can spend Resource ranks to gain additional Powers, Tal-ents, and Resources. Each additional Power lowers the Resourcerank -2CS. Each additional Talent or Contact lowers it by -1CS.
Defining Powers: Roll two percentages for each Power. The
first determines the Power Class and the second determines thespecific Power Category. Some Powers are marked by anasterisk (*); these count as two Powers because they're suchheavyweights. If you don't have enough openings for such aPower, you can make room for it by discarding already-rolledPowers or spending more Resource ranks. If you can't makeroom in either of those ways, discard the Power and roll again.
Die Roll
01-05
06-1112-1617-2425-2930-3132-3536-4041-4748-5354-5758-7172-8586-8889-9293-00
Power Class (Code)
Defensive (D)
Detection (DT)Energy Control (EC)Energy Emission (EE)Fighting (F)Illusionary (I)Lifeform Control (L)Magic (MG)Matter Control (MC)Matter Conversion (MCo)Matter Creation (MCr)Mental Enhancement (M)Physical Enhancement (P)Power Control (PC)Self-Alteration (S)Travel (T)
(Code)
D1
D2D3D4D5D6D7D8D9
D10D11D12D13D14D15D16D17
(Code)
DT1
DT2DT3DT4DT5DT6DT7DT8DT9
DT10DT11DT12DT13DT14DT15DT16DT17DT18DT19DT20DT21DT22
(Code)
EC1
EC2EC3EC4EC5EC6EC7EC8EC9
EC10EC11
14
50-5354-5960-6667-7374-7778-8081-8485-9091-9798-00
Die Roll
01-10
11-2021-2223-3435-3738-4243-5253-6263-7273-7576-7879-8384-9394-00
Die Roll
01-20
21-6061-7576-8081-00
Die Roll
01-15
16-7071-8586-00
Die Roll
01-14
1516-1819-2627-3233-34
3536-3940-5152-6061-6263-65
6667-6970-71
Hard Radiation ControlKinetic ControlLight ControlMagnetic ManipulationPlasma ControlRadiowave ControlShadowshapingSound ManipulationThermal ControlVibration Control
Energy Emission
Cold Generation
Electrical GenerationEnergy DoppelgangerFire GenerationHard RadiationHeatKinetic BoltLight EmissionMagnetismPlasma GenerationRadiowave GenerationShadowcastingSonic GenerationVibration
Fighting Power
Berserker
Martial SupremacyNatural WeaponryWeapons Creation*Weapons Tinkering
Illusory Power
Animate Image
Illusion-Casting*Illusory InvisibilityIllusory Duplication
Lifeform Control Power
Biophysical Control*
Bio-Vampirism *Body Transformation—OthersEmotion ControlExorcismForce Field vs. HostilesForced ReincarnationGrafting*Hypnotic ControlMind Control*Mind Transferral*Neural ManipulationPlague CarrierPlant ControlPlant Growth
EC12EC13EC14EC15EC16EC17EC18EC19EC20EC21
(Code)
EE1
EE2EE3EE4EE5EE6EE7EE8EE9
EE10EE11EE12EE13EE14
(Code)
F1
F2F3F4F5
(Code)
I1
I2I3I4
(Code)
L1
L2L3L4L5L6L7L8L9
L10L11L12L13L14L15
72-8081-8384-89
9091-9596-00
Die Roll
01-08
09-1516-1718-2526-2829-3334-3940-4142-7172-7778-7980-9596-00
Die Roll
01-05
06-1718-2223-2930-3940-4647-5152-6162-6869-7374-8384-9394-00
Die Roll
01-10
11-2526-4546-7071-8081-00
Die Roll
01-10
11-2425-2930-3536-5960-6970-8889-00
Sense AlterationShapechange-Others*Sleep-InducedSpirit StorageSummoningUndead Control
Magical Power
Enchantment*
Energy SourceInternal LimboMagic Control*Magic Creation*Magic DominationMagic TransferralMagic VampirismPower SimulationReality Alteration*Spirit Vampirism*Sympathetic MagicWarding
Matter Control Power
Bonding
CollectionCrystallizationDiminutionDisruptionEnlargementGeoforceMatter Animation*Machine Animation*Micro-EnvironmentMoldingWeatherZombie Animation*
Matter Conversion Power
Coloration
CombustionDisintegrationElemental Conversion*IonizationMolecular Conversion*
Matter Creation Power
Artifact Creation*
Elemental CreationLifeform Creation*Mechanical Creation*Missile CreationMolecular CreationSprayWebcasting
L16L17L18L19L20L21
(Code)
MG1
MG2MG3MG4MG5MG6MG7MG8MG9
MG10MG11MG12MG13
(Code)
MC1
MC2MC3MC4MC5MC6MC7MC8MC9
MC10MC11MC12MC13
(Code)
MCo1
MCo2MCo3MCo4MCo5MCo6
(Code)
MCr1
MCr2MCr3MCr4MCr5MCr6MCr7MCr8
15
Die Roll
01-04
05-0809-11
1213
14-1516
17-2223
24-2627
28-3132-4041-47
4849-5859-65
6667
68-6970-72
73747576
77-78798081
82-8586
87-9697-00
Die Roll
01-14
15-2829-3031-3334-4041-4243-4546-4748-5051-6263-6768-7172-7677-7879-8283-9091-9596-00
Mental Enhancement Power
Clairaudience
ClairvoyanceCommunicate with AnimalsCommunicate with CyberneticsCommunicate with Non-LivingCommunicate with PlantsCosmic Awareness*Danger SenseDreamtravelEmpathyFree Spirit*Hallucinations*Hyper-IntelligenceHyper-InventionIncarnation AwarenessIron WillLinguisticsMental DuplicationMental InvisibilityMental ProbeMind BlastMind DrainPostcognitionPrecognition*Psionic Vampirism*Remote SensingSensory LinkSerial Immortality*SpeechthrowingTelekinesisTelelocationTelepathyTotal Memory
Physical Enhancement Powers
Armor Skin
Body ResistanceChemical TouchDigestive AdaptationHyper-SpeedHypnotic VoiceLung AdaptabilityPheromonesMolecular InstabilityRegeneration*Self-Revival*Self-SustenanceStealthSuspended AnimationTrue Invulnerability*Vocal ControlWaterbreathingWater Freedom
(Code)
M1
M2M3M4M5M6M7M8M9
M10M11M12M13M14M15M16M17M18M19M20M21M22M23M24M25M26M27M28M29M30M31M32M33
(Code)
P1
P2P3P4P5P6P7P8P9
P10P11P12P13P14P15P16P17P18
Die Roll
01-08
09-1213-1819-2324-3738-3940-4950-5556-6061-6465-7374-8384-9697-00
Die Roll
01-02
03-0910
11-1314-1920-2122-2728-3031-3334-37
3839-4243-4445-4950-5556-57
5859-60
616263
64-6768-70
7172-7475-7879-8182-8485-9091-9495-99
00
Die Roll
01-02
03-0607-1011-12
Power Control Power
Control*
CreationDomination*DuplicationEnergy SourceEnergy Source Creation*FocusGestaltNemesisPower TransferralPower Vampirism *Residual AbsorptionSelectionWeakness Creation*
Self-Alteration Power
Age-Shift
Alter EgoAnatomical SeparationAnimal TransformationAnimal MimicryBlendingBody Adaptation*Body Transformation*Body CoatingBouncing BallChemical MimicryElongationEnergy Body*Energy SheathEvolutionGrowthImitation-Face ChangerImitation-Human ChangelingInvisibilityMass DecreaseMass IncreasePhasingPhysical GestaltPlant MimicryPlasticityPrehensile HairSelf-Duplication*Self-VegetationShapeshiftingShrinkingSpirit GestaltTwo-dimensionality
Travel Powers
Astral Body
Carrier WaveDimension TravelEnergy Path
(Code)
PC1
PC2PC3PC4PC5PC6PC7PC8PC9
PC10PC11PC12PC13PC14
(Code)
S1
S2S3S4S5S6S7S8S9
S10S11S12S13S14S15S16S17S18S19S20S21S22S23S24S25S26S27S28S29S30S31S32
(Code)
T1
T2T3T4
16
13-1415-2021-2627-2829-3435-4243-4647-5152-5657-5859-6465-7273-7677-7879-8081-8283-9394-9798-00
Floating DiscGateway*GlidingHyper-DiggingHyper-LeapingHyper-RunningHyper-SwimmingLevitationRocketSkywalkSpiderclimbTeleport Self*Teleport Others*TelereformationTime Travel*TroubleseekerTrue FlightWater WalkingWhirlwind
T5T6T7T8T9
T10T11T12T13T14T15T16T17T18T19T20T21T22T23
MOVING ON
This concludes the generation portion of the Ultimate Powers
Book. From here on, you will find all the Powers, listed inalphabetical order by category and by name. Think of this as awish book. Browse through it if you like, or just look at thePowers you have generated for your character. Perhapssomething will catch your eye, you'll find yourself trying togenerate another character just so you can say, "Oh yeah?Well, MINE has Prehensile Hair!"
17
POWER LISTINGS
Defense Powers
Ranges for these Powers are found on
the Range Tables, inside the front cover
D1/Body Armor (Artificial): The heropossesses artificially-created armor thatprovides protection and possibly a way ofpossessing other Powers.
Armor comes in many forms exoticplate-mail, nuclear-powered exoskeletons,or mechanically-created force fields. Theplayer should work with the Judge tocreate proper Armor for his hero. Theplayer can also determine which Powersare possessed by the hero and which areproperties of the armor. Powers built intothe armor can later be modified andenhanced; think of the changes TonyStark has made in the Iron Man armor. Onthe other hand, Powers that are built intothe armor may suffer mechanical failure.The Armor's Power rank determines itsability to resist damage.
The player also has to determinewhere he got the Armor in the first place.This is covered in the "CharacterCreation" section elsewhere in this book.If the hero gained the armor through anaccident, he might not be able to repair it.
Powers D2 through D9 have rangeslisted on column B of the Range Table.
D2/Force Field: This is the type of fieldused by the Invisible Woman. It providesprotection against a variety of forces,including brute force, energy attacks, andextreme temperature conditions. It canbe projected and used for a variety ofPower stunts.
The following seven force fieldsprotect against specific forms of attack.Each protects the hero and thesurrounding area. The maximum size ofthe force field is the number of areasequal to 10% of the Power rank number.For example, a Monstrous Force Fieldcan protect 7.5 areas.
The force field completely absorbs anyattack which has an Intensity equal to orless than the Power's rank number. If theIntensity is higher, it is reduced by thePower's rank number. The remainingIntensity breaches the force field and affectsanyone within by this diminished effect.
These forms cannot be used for manyof the Power stunts suggested for forcefields as given in the Player's Book.
These cannot be used to physically attackor to handle solid materials. However, thehero can develop Power stunts whichreflect each form's special nature.
The hero can form shields to protectdistant targets at +2CS range.
By expanding his field outward, thehero can sweep his surroundings cleanof anything affected by his force field.
The Power can be used as a filter tosort out anything affected by his force field.
The force field can be formed aroundsomething it would affect, thus trappingit. The hero can move the "trap" at will upto +2CS by means of a red FEAT.
D3/Force Field vs. Emotion Attack:This is the field-effect version of D11.The Field protects anyone within fromattacks that are emotion-related or aimedat the Intuition, including EmotionControl, Hallucinations, and Domination.The Power's rank must be one rankhigher than the hero's Intuition; if initiallylower, the player should raise it to +1CS.
D4/Force Field vs. Energy Attack: Thisis the field-effect version of D12. TheField protects anything within from anyemitted energy forms, whether natural,artificial, or Power-based. Such attacksinclude Light, Heat and Flame, Plasma,Hard Radiation, Electricity, Vibration,Sonics, Cold, and Kinetic Bolts (most ofthe Energy Emission category). Note thatthis Power overlaps D7. When creatingthe hero, the player can raise his rank+2CS by choosing a field that protectsagainst a specific attack.
D5/Force Field vs. Magic: This is the,field-effect version of D13. The fieldprotects anything within from magicalattack whether mental or physical inorientation. Note that unlike D6, thisPower rank can be lower than thePsyche, making the field less able toprotect against certain types of Magic.
D6/Force Field vs. Mental Attack: Thisis the field-effect version of D14. Thefield protects anyone within from attacksaimed at the mind, neural system, andPsyche, including Psionics, and NeuralManipulation. It does not protect againstemotion-based attacks (see D3) ormagical attacks (see D5). The Power'srank must be one rank higher than the
hero's Psyche; if initially lower, the playershould raise it to the Psyche rank +1CS.
D7/Force Field vs. Physical Attack:This is a field-effect version of D15. Thefield protects anything within from suchthings as brute force, hostileenvironments, temperature extremes,hazardous chemicals, and airborneinfection. Note that while this Power willprevent hostile environments fromharming the hero, it does not provide lifesupport materials. For example, thisPower permits the hero to walkunharmed on the surface of Venus,provided he has his own oxygen supply.
When creating the hero, the player canraise the Power rank +1CS by choosing afield that protects against a specific attack.
D8/Force Field vs. PowerManipulation: This is the field-effectversion of D16. The field protects anyonewithin from any attacks that directly affectthe hero's Powers, including WeaknessCreation, Power Control, PowerDomination, Magic Control, and MagicianDomination.
D9/Force Field vs. Vampirism: This isthe field-effect version of D17. The fieldprotects anyone within from anyvampiric-type attacks. This includes theforms of Psi-, Bio-, Energy, Magic, andPower Vampirism. When creating thehero, the player can raise the Power rank+1CS by choosing a field that protectsagainst a specific attack.
D10/Reflection: The hero can turn anyattack back onto the attacker. The attackmay be of any nature: brute force, Power,or magic. The Power absorbs the energyof the attack up to this rank and redirectsit. A Typical FEAT send the attack off in arandom direction. An Amazing FEATreflects some of the attack back onto theattacker; it is now -3CS in Intensity. AnUnearthly FEAT sends the entire attackback onto the attacker. If the attack'sIntensity is higher that this Power's rank,some of the damage passes through andaffects the hero. The Power rank issubtracted from the attack's Intensity.While most of the attack is reflected, theremainder gets through to the hero.
Example: The terrible Turnabout isbattling X-Factor. Cyclops fires an optic
18
DETECTION
blast of Remarkable Intensity. Turnaboutpossesses Excellent Reflection. HisPower splits the blast in two. A Feebleblast penetrates his Power and knocksTurnabout back. The bulk of the blastwas reflected. Turnabout made anAmazing FEAT, so some of Cyclops'blast returns to him. Cyke takes Typicaldamage from his own Power.
Normally, this Power is consciouslycontrolled and only appears when thehero wills it. However, the Power can beturned against the hero by such meansas Power Control/Magnification andPower Domination. In such cases, thePower can be magnified beyond thehero's control to a level where it reflectseverything, including air, food, and water.
The Power can be used indefinitely, solong as it isn't overcome by superior force.After the first time the Power is breached,the hero must make a green FEAT. Failureto do so means his Power has failed. Afterthe second breach, the hero must make ayellow FEAT. For each breach followingthat, he must make a red FEAT. Thisapplies to a continual use of the Power. Ifhis Power fails, the hero cannot regain ituntil 24 hours have passed.
Resistances have no ranges.
D11/Resistance to Emotion Attacks:The hero has increased resistance toemotion-related attacks. Such attacksinclude Emotion Control, Hallucinations,Domination, and attacks aimed at theIntuition. The hero can ignore attackswith Intensities less than the Power rank,and may reduce damage from higherlevel attacks by the Power rank number.
This Power rank must be at least equalto the hero's Intuition +1CS; if a lowerrank is initially rolled, the player shouldraise it to the Intuition rank +1CS.
D12/Resistance to Energy Attacks:The hero has an increased resistance toany emitted energy form, whetherartificial, natural, or Power-based. Suchattacks include Light, Heat, Flame,Plasma, Hard radiation, Electricity,Vibration, Sonics, Cold, and Kinetic Bolts(most of the Energy Emission category).
Note that this Power overlaps D15.The hero can ignore attacks withIntensities less than his Power rank andmay reduce higher level attacks by hisPower rank number.
When creating the hero, the player canraise his rank +1CS by choosing tospecialize in a specific Energy Resistance.For example, the Player's Book containslistings for Resistance to Fire and Heat,Cold, Electricity, and Radiation.
D13/Resistance to Magic Attacks: Thehero has increased resistance to magicbased attacks, whether physical ormental in orientation. Unlike D11 andD14, this Power rank can be lower thanthe Psyche rank, making the hero morevulnerable to some types of magic.
The hero can ignore any magic whoserank is less than this Power's rank andcan reduce higher level attacks by thePower rank number.
D14/Resistance to Mental Attacks: Thehero has increased resistance to attacksaimed at the mind and neural system.Such attacks include psionics, neuralmanipulation, and any other attacksaimed at the Psyche. It does not includeemotion-based attacks (see D11) ormagical attacks (see D13). The Power'srank must be at least one rank higherthan the hero's Psyche; if a lower rank isrolled initially, the player should raise it tothat rank +1CS.
D15/Resistance to Physical Attack:The hero has increased resistance toany physical attack. This includes bruteforce, chemical weapons, biochemicals,disease, hostile environments, andtemperature extremes. The hero canignore any physical attacks withIntensities less than. the Power rank, andmay reduce damage from higher levelattacks by the Power rank number.
When creating the hero, the player canraise the Power rank +1CS by choosingto specialize in a specific PhysicalResistance. For example, the Player'sBook contains listings for Resistances toFire and Heat, Corrosives, and Disease.
D16/Resistance to Power Manipula-tion: The hero has increased resistanceto attacks that directly affect the hero'sPowers. Such attacks include WeaknessCreation, Power Control, PowerDomination, Magic Control, and MagicianDomination.
The hero can ignore any attack whorank is less than this Power rank. He may
reduce the effectiveness of the higherlevel attacks by the Power rank number.
D17/Resistance to Vampirism: Thehero has increased resistance to anyvampiric-type attacks. Such attacksinclude forms of Psi-, Bio-, Energy,Magic, and Power Vampirism.
The hero can ignore any vampiricattack whose rank is less than thisPower's rank. He can reduce theeffectiveness of the vampire's attack bydeducting his Power rank number fromthe vampiric attack's Power rank.
When creating the hero, the player canchoose to raise the rank +2CS by special-izing in a particular form of Resistance.
Detection Powers
DT1/Abnormal Sensitivity: The hero's
senses function in their normal mannerbut their normal range of sensitivity isaltered. The senses detect what theynormally cannot and cannot detect whatthey normally can.
This affects either vision or hearing.the former case, the hero sees infraredand ultraviolet light, radio waves, andradiation. In the latter case, the herohears extremely high and low pitches.
This may be considered a handicaphuman characters while for aliens thiscould be a fact of life. A hero can turn itinto an advantage by devising a mean.ofnegating the senses of his adversary thatdoesn't hinder his own altered senses.
DT2/Circular Vision: This is simpleenough to explain. The hero can see 3degrees around himself. There are twoways to do this. The first is the hero'seyes are placed far enough apart thatthey can see in all directions. Since thisis somewhat grotesque, the hero loses -1CS on his Popularity.
The second, more socially acceptablemethod is the hero possesses a weirdlightwarping field that funnels light into hisotherwise normal-looking eyes. The firstmethod adds +1CS to the Fighting rank.
This method is immune to interferenceby power-manipulation Powers.Unfortunately it also marks the hero as ageek or mutant.
This Power has no rank. The heroeither has it or he doesn't.
19
DT3/Energy Detection: Range columnD. The hero can detect and identifyenergy and related phenomena. Thepower can only detect actual energy, notpotential energy (it couldn't detect abomb until it explodes, for example).Likewise, while it can detect the energiesconsciously emitted by superhumans, itcannot detect the superhumansthemselves. Rank determines range.
DT4/Environmental Awareness: Rangecolumn B. The hero has increasedsensitivity to conditions in, disturbancesin, and influences on the environment.The hero automatically maintains fullknowledge of current conditions in hissurroundings. This awareness extends tosuch factors as weather, chemicals,movement, and life.
The rank determines the range towhich the awareness extends; exceedingit requires a FEAT (+1CS, green; +2CS,yellow; +3CS, red). The hero can gain+1CS by linking his Health to theenvironment. In this symbiosis, harm tothe environment is reflected in the hero'sphysical welfare.
DT5/Extradimensional Detection: Thehero can sense across the dimensionalbarrier and see things existing in otherdimensions.
A list of some of the dimensions in theMarvel Universe is found in Realms ofMagic. These include Asgard, the AstralPlane, Avalon, the Dark Dimension, theDemon Dimension, etc. The power ranknumber equals the number of differentdimensions into which the hero can see.
DT6/Hypersensitive Hearing: The herocan detect extremely faint sounds andunusual frequencies. He can identifyobjects by the sounds they emit. Becauseof the sensitivity of the hero's hearing, heis more vulnerable to sonic attacks (whichreceive a +1CS against him).
DT7/Hypersensitive Olfactory: Thehero can detect the presence of minutetraces of substances and accuratelyidentify them.
This Power is continually functioning;the hero has learned to ignoreunpleasant smells. If he loses his abilityto mask out nasty odors, he'll be sodistracted (and possibly sickened) by the
intruding odors that he loses -1CS onReason and Endurance.
DT8/Hypersensitive Touch: The heropossesses an Enhanced sense of touchthat permits him to detect extremely finesurface details and to identify materialsby their surface "feel."
DT9/Life Detection: Range column B.The hero can detect the presence of lifeand identify the nature of that life. Thehero can probe a specific target for moredetailed physiological data on a red FEAT.
Rank determines the maximum range.A red FEAT allows the hero to locate aspecific lifeform in the midst of a numberof similar beings.
This is one of the Powers that canfunction as "Mutant Detection."
DT10/Magic Detection: The hero candetect and identify magic and its effects.The Power can detect both magic inactual use and in potential. As such, thisis another way to detect mutants,although it cannot differentiate them fromnormal magic-users.
The hero can identify the past use ofmagic (a green FEAT), a yellow FEATidentifies the magic-user, and a red FEATidentifies the actual spell.
DT11/Microscopic Vision: The hero I seyes can focus on extremely minutetargets, objects too small for normalvision to perceive. This Power functionsin two stages. The first is lightmagnification; the hero's eyes function asnormal microscopes. This allows the heroto see things as small as chromosomes.Beyond this level, light no longer carriesimages. The second stage of this Poweris a variation of Clairvoyance that permitsthe hero to see miniature, rather thandistant, targets. The Power automaticallyshifts between these stages without thehero's conscious choice. (Rank: FE =microfilm, EX = cells, AM = molecules,UN = atoms, ShY = electrons, CL5000 =surfaces of subatomic worlds.)
DT12/Penetration Vision: This iscommonly called "X-ray vision" but maynot actually use X-rays. The hero cansee through solids; the effect is as if theobscuring material were transformed toclear glass.
The Power rank number equals thedepth in feet to which this Power canpenetrate. The hero can raise this by+1CS by selecting a material that blocksthe vision; this material is usually acommon element, often lead.
Penetration Vision can be coupled witheither Telescopic or Microscopic Vision toextend its range and permit the otherPower to function despite interveningbarriers. If this Power is interfered withby outside forces, the hero might beunable to use his normal vision. Theresult is the hero perceives everything asa transparent outline.
DT13/Power Detection: Range columnB. This is another Power that can functionas "Mutant Detection." The hero candetect and identify superhuman Powers.He can also identify specific superhumansby their characteristic Powers (anUnearthly FEAT). The hero can identifythe presence of previously invoked powerwhen examining former targets of Poweron a Good Intensity FEAT; identify aspecific Power on a Remarkable IntensityFEAT; and identify the actual user of thePower on an Amazing Intensity FEAT,provided the hero knows of him.
DT14/Psionic Detection: Range columnC. The hero can detect and identifypsionic Power and related phenomena. Itcan detect both actual psionics and thepotential to use them. As such, this is thelast way to detect mutants.
The hero can identify the past use ofpsionics on a living subject on anExcellent Intensity FEAT; identify thespecific psionic Power on an Amazing
Intensity FEAT; and on an UnearthlyFEAT, provided the hero knows of theuser, he can identify the actualpossessor of the psionic power.
DT15/Radarsense: Range column B.The hero can gain a three-dimensionalpicture of his surroundings through theuse of electromagnetic waves. The heroboth emits and senses these waves. Hecan use the Power to locate and identifytargets by their characteristic echoes.Because of the hero's sensitivity toelectromagnetic waves, he has anincreased vulnerability to electrical andmagnetic attacks (-1CS); thesetemporarily negate the Radarsense.
20
ENERGY CONTROL
DT16/Sonar: Range column B. The herocan gain a three-dimensional picture ofhis environment through the use ofsoundwaves. The Power allows the heroto locate and identify targets by the waythey reflect sound.
There are two ways this Power canoperate. Passive Sonar utilizes existingsound. Active Sonar uses special soundsemitted by the hero (this is how bats anddolphins do it). The latter form requires aspecial adaptation of the hero's voice;otherwise there is no real differencebetween them. Because of the specialsensitivity of the hero's hearing, he isvulnerable to sonic attacks (-1CS to resist).
DT17Telescopic Vision: Range columnE. The hero's eyes can focus onextremely distant targets, objects toosmall for normal vision to perceive. Theeyes function as telescopes, magnifyingnormal visual images. With this Power,the hero can see anything in his line ofsight, even the surfaces of distantworlds. However, the Power is limited bythe speed of light. Images of AlphaCentauri, for example, are five years old.
If the hero has other vision-basedPowers, he can couple them withTelescopic vision to extend their range.
When using this Power, the distantobjects appear very close. An adversarywith a means of altering the hero'scontrol over this Power might make theTelescopic Vision continually override thehero's normal sight. The effect would bedisastrous (imagine trying to walkthrough Manhattan when all you'reseeing are the sands of Mars).
DT18/Thermal Vision: The hero can seeinfrared light and heat images. Thisallows the hero to see in the dark,perceive temperature differences(especially those left by a living person'scontact with an object), and partially seethrough solids. In the last case, the herocan only see the heat patterns of objectstouching the other side of the barrier.
With practice, the hero can judge thetemperature of a target by its thermalcolor. The hero has an increased risk ofbeing blinded by strong heat sources,even those that don't affect normal vision(-1CS). Thermal vision may be aconsciously-activated mode or the hero'snormal means of vision.
DT19/Tracking Ability: The hero candetect and follow the tracks left by aspecific target. The hero can detectenvironmental and spatial disturbanceswith the result that at high ranks the herocan actually track across deep space.
D20/True Sight: The hero can see thecorrect image of a target, despite anyattempts at concealment or disguise. ThisPower can penetrate any means of hidingsomething's true nature, whether physical,psionic, illusionary, or power-based.
True Sight can penetrate any disguiseat or below its rank. A green FEAT isrequired at +1CS; a yellow FEAT at+2CS; and a red FEAT at +3CS.
Range is limited to one area unlessthe Power is coupled with a Power thatextends his vision (Telescopic Vision, forexample). The Power may be automaticor deliberate. If automatic, the herogains +1CS but loses -2CS from hisPsyche rank.
DT21/Ultraviolet Vision: The hero cansee ultraviolet light. Because UV lightisn't as readily absorbed by water asnormal light, this Power enables the heroto see clearly through fog and at greaterdistance in the water (+1CS). The herocan also see the dim light given off byradioactive materials.
The hero cannot actually "see in thedark" but only if UV light is present. Theeffect is the same when seen by normalpeople. The hero has an increased riskof being blinded by strong UV sources,like black lights and radiation (-2CS).
DT22/Weakness Detection: The herocan detect flaws and stress points in atarget. This doesn't guarantee he canexploit this knowledge, though.
The rank determines the types ofweaknesses he can detect. Good orbelow: physical weakness only. Excellentto Amazing: mental and physicalweaknesses. Monstrous and above:mental physical, and Power-basedweaknesses.
Energy Control Powers
Ranges for these Powers are found on the
Range Tables, inside the front cover.Appropriate ranges are listed on column B.
EC1/Absorption Power: The hero canabsorb a specific type of energy andactually gain Health points by convertingthe energy into Self-Healing. The herogains a number of Health points equalhis Power rank number each time he ishit by his specific form of absorbableenergy. This addition to Health quicklyheals any damage the hero had suffer,and acts as a buffer to absorbconsequent damage.
In the absence of life-sustainingmaterials, this Power can act as asubstitute for air, water, and food. Thehero converts energy into healing powerfor the damage he's taking fromsuffocation, dehydration, starvation, andany other unpleasant results of not livingcareful. Unfortunately, this requires asteady supply of energy to convert.Consider Galactus. He is perpetuallystarving. He uses this Power to absorbthe energy of life-forces and convert itinto his own life force. Yet, draining tenbillion life-forces only sustains him for asingle year, at most. Your hero won't lastanywhere near as long.
There is the danger that your hero Aactively seek out energies he can absorband heal himself with. The danger occursif the energy type is a dangerous onethat does great damage wherever itoccurs. For example, consider acharacter whose Absorption Poweraffects hard radiation. In the absence ofother superbeings who possessRadiation Powers, the character mightresort to breaking into reactors or evenpurposefully detonating nuclear bombs toget I energy he needs. (And you thoughtmuties had a public image problem.)
If the hero possesses an EnergyEmission Power, he cannot use it directlyto affect himself.
EC2/Catalytic Control: The hero cancontrol the speed at which chemicalreactions occur. He can increase ordecrease the energies emitted or drainedin such reactions by his Power ranknumber. For example, he could increasethe heat, emitted by exothermic reactionslike oxidation; he could also increase thechilling effect of endothermic reactions.He can increase or decrease the speedor rate at which reactions occur, likestopping iron from dissolving in acid orcausing steel to rapidly transform into
21
rust. The hero can also develop a varietyof Power stunts:
• Causing chemical reactions that arenormally impossible, such as anythinginvolving inert gases.
• Knocking out self-powered machineryby stopping the reactions that generatetheir power.
• Inducing suspended animation in aliving target by stopping all biochemicalactivity, especially decay.
• Incapacitating living targets by inducingnausea.
• Increasing the hero's Strength andEndurance by increasing themetabolizing of oxygen and food (orwhatever the body uses).
• Collapsing a target by hastening theforces of decay.
• Forming compounds by simply mixingmaterials together and not needingheat or special conditions.
• Baking without an oven.
The Power can continually affect atarget as long as it functions. Any resultsare permanent if they do not involve aliving subject. Effects on a living subjectcease five turns after the Power ceases.
EC3/Coldshaping: The hero can controlany force that actively decreases thetemperature of something else. This canbe used to increase or decrease theCold's Intensity by this Power's ranknumber. This function overlaps both Heatand Cold Generation but differs in thatthis Power cannot alter the naturaltemperature of a target or alter localtemperatures to suit the hero's whims.There are two primary functions to thisPower. The first is to counteract orsupplement cold-based Powers. The herocan alter such Powers as soon as theyare emitted from the target's body. Suchpowers can be increased or decreasedby this Power's rank number. The herocan also redirect such Powers. This leadsto the second primary function.
The hero can shape fields of intensecold and produce useful results. IceGeneration is a form of this Power. Thehero can create shapes of rapidly-formedice that he can use in a variety of Powerstunts. The hero can also developvariations on Ice Generation that use othermaterials present in his local atmosphere.
Such substances include carbon dioxide(even more slippery than ice, and the fogcan knock people out), nitrogen, oxygen(potentially dangerous since aconcentration of it can make normalflames explode with +2CS damage), andthe inert gases (an Amazing IntensityFEAT, since there are so few of thesepresent in Earth's atmosphere-but on otherplanets, not so tough). Cold Generation isa Bonus Power.
Optional Powers include ThermalControl, Condensation, Molding, andBody Coating.
EC4/Darkforce Manipulation: This is aPower that is unique to campaigns usingthe Marvel Universe. It does not apply tocampaigns set in other parts of theMultiverse.
The hero can generate and control theextra-dimensional energy-form known as"Darkforce." This resembles a tangible,impenetrable shadow and possessesseveral unique characteristics that thehero can use to develop Power Stunts:
• Blunt attack damage at Power rank.• Shadowcasting of Power rank Intensity
darkness over a maximum of threeareas.
• Flight at -1CS speed.• Gateway.• Energy Solidification.
The Darkforce is as yet undefined inthe Marvel Universe. For your game'spurposes, you might simply treat it as another-dimensional power source that fillsits own entire pocket dimension. Thatdefinition will work in or out of the officialMarvel Universe.
EC5/Electrical Control: The hero cancontrol all forms of electricity, whethernatural, artificial, or Power-based. He cancontrol the Intensity and direction ofelectron streams and alter theconductivity of materials. He can shapeelectron streams into any desired form.This permits him to develop Power stuntsbased on lightning-constructs designedto perform certain tasks (shields, cages,barriers, etc.)
The hero can increase or decrease theelectricity's Intensity and reduce damageby his Power rank number. If theelectricity is Power-related, then the
target's Power rank determines theIntensity of the FEAT the hero mustmake to gain control.
The hero has Power rank Resistanceto Electrical Generation.
Optional Powers include ElectricalGeneration, Energy Doppelganger,Energy Sheath, Energy Body, CarrierWave, and Energy Path.
Because electricity forms the basis formost of our technology, the hero can usehis Power to remotely control any electricaldevice on a Good Intensity FEAT. Morecomplex devices like computers require amore complex form of control and aRemarkable Intensity FEAT.
EC6/Energy Conversion: The hero cansimply change any form of energy intoany other form. The transformed energy'sIntensity is one rank lower than itsoriginal level. The hero can transformenergy by an Intensity FEAT equal to thetarget energy's Intensity. The hero beginswith the ability to transform any energyinto one specific form. He can developthe ability to transform energy into otherforms as Power stunts.
There are two advantages to thisPower. The first is the ability to gain anEnergy Emission Power fueled by theenvironment. Dazzler, for example, canconvert sonic energy into light. She thenrefined that Light Generation into avariety of effects, including lasers, lightshields, and hypnotic effects.
The second advantage is the ability totransform deadly force into lessdangerous forms. For example, if yourhero found himself caught in a ragingfirestorm, he might Convert the heat intoCold. This would both protect him andextinguish the fire. (The paramedic shookhis head. "I'll be danged if I can figureout how a man can get frostbite fightinga fire.")
The maximum Intensity of Energy thata hero can convert is equal to one rankhigher than his Power rank (a red FEAT).Excess energy remains in its originalstate, although its Intensity is diminishedby the Power's rank number.
Example: The Astounding Adaptorpossesses Excellent Energy Conversion.While traveling through Nebraska, hespots a tornado about to touch down. Hedirects his Power at the tornado, whichpossesses Amazing Intensity. The most
22
his Power can directly affect is Remark-able Intensity. He tries for a red FEATand succeeds. The tornado bursts intoan Amazing Intensity flash of orangelight. High winds of Remarkable Intensitycontinue to buffet the area, but at leastthe worst of the property damage hasbeen avoided. ("Now if I could just getthese spots out of my eyes")
When creating the character, theplayer can raise his Power by +1CS bylimiting him to a specific EnergyConversion (Sonics to Light, in Dazzler'sexample). The player must determine thecharacteristics for the secondary Powerhe gains by taking Energy Conversion.These would match the appropriatelisting in the Energy Emission section.
EC7/Energy Solidification: The herocan transform energy into a matrix thatsimulates solid matter. This matrix maybe any shape the hero desires, althoughgreater complexity requires a higherIntensity FEAT to create. For example,simple solids can be formed by a FeebleFEAT. Animated forms require a TypicalFEAT. Likenesses and simple machineryrequire an Incredible FEAT. The energymatrix possesses Strength equal to thePower rank. It continues to exist for aduration determined by the hero'sPsyche. After that time, the matrixharmlessly dissipates. Some of the usesfor this Power include:
• Forming cages or barriers.• Forming servants to perform desired
tasks.• Creating Body Armor to protect and
enhance the hero's abilities.• At high levels, the hero can build semi-
permanent structures at will.
Pieces that are "broken off" from thematrix immediately revert to their originalenergy form, doing -4CS damage to thevandal. Optional Powers include anyEnergy Emission or Energy Control Power.
EC8/Energy Sponge: The hero canabsorb any form of energy, whethernatural or Power-based, and not sufferany damage. The hero can absorbenergy equal to his Power rank number.This stored energy can be released atany time the hero desires; upon releaseit has a lower Intensity than its original
state (-2CS). The hero may also chooseto harmlessly dissipate the energy over along period; this is a number of turnsequal to the Intensity rank number.
For example, your hero soaks up anIncredible radiation blast. He chooses tore-release it later as a single, ExcellentIntensity blast that could really muck upwhatever it hit, or he could let theradiation slowly seep away (this takes 40turns, or four minutes). When the heroreaches his limit, three things canhappen. One, the hero simply cannotabsorb any more energy until hereleases what he has already soaked up.This assumes the hero is in control of thesituation and has a choice in his actions.
The second possibility is that a "gagreflex" takes effect. Just as a humanexpels all food when the intake limit isreached, so too will the hero simply,uncontrollably release all absorbedenergy at once. This situation assumesthe hero doesn't know his own limit, orhas a low Intuition (Typical or lower).
The third possibility is dangerous forthe hero. If he attempts to absorb morethan his limit, he may suffer physicaldamage. The hero can temporarilyabsorb greater amounts of energy bymaking repeated red FEATs. Eachsuccessful FEAT enables him to absorbthe next higher Power rank numberworth of energy, minus the numberalready absorbed. When the hero failsthe red FEAT, trouble occurs. Allabsorbed energy is released in a singleturn, doing full damage to the hero. If thehero makes one last red FEAT, he takesonly half damage but loses the Powerpermanently.
Example: The alien hero Sukupppossessed an Excellent level of theEnergy Sponge Power. While he wasvisiting Charleston, terrorists detonatedan atomic bomb of Monstrous Intensity.Sukupp had no choice but to try toabsorb the blast. He made his first redFEAT and absorbed 30 points of theblast. He didn't have time to release it,nor was this the proper place; the fireballwas growing. He made his next redFEAT and absorbed another 10 points. Athird red FEAT allowed him to absorb anAmazing amount of radiation, minus thepoints already absorbed (50-40=10).
Sukupp now had 50 points of the A-blast's 75 soaked into his body. There
was still enough free to contaminate thecity. Sukupp had to absorb it all. He tried.He failed the last red FEAT. For second,his body glowed like a small star. Than,he was gone.
When creating the character, theplayer can raise the Power rank by +1CSby specializing in absorbing a single typeof energy.
EC9/Energy Vampirism: The hero candrain the energy from a target andconvert that energy into extra Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and other Powershe possesses.
The hero can force a non-living, norsentient target to release all its energy,an Intensity FEAT equal to the energypotential of the target. For example, anauto battery can be drained on a TypicalIntensity FEAT, a gallon of gasoline byGood Intensity FEAT, the magnetismevery tape in a music shop on anExcellent intensity FEAT, the heat of ablast furnace on an Amazing IntensityFEAT and so on.
Living and/or sentient targets areharder to drain, because they possessPsyche. The target's Psyche determinesthe Intensity of the FEAT needed. Asuccessful FEAT enables the hero todrain energy from the target. The amountdrained is equal to this Power's ranknumber. The amount is drawn from allthe target's Energy Emission Powers andany energies that form his physicalmake-up; this applies if the hero is anon-human (a robot, for example). TheEnergy Vampire can only drain Powersthat actually emit energy—see theEnergy Emission section. Powers that donot emit energy cannot be affected bythis Power (but, see Power Vampirism).
The Energy Vampire can drain thePower rank number amount of energyeach turn as long as he keeps makingsuccessful FEATs. He can voluntarily stopfeeding at any point by making a PsycheFEAT roll of any color except red. A redFEAT means his hunger is beyond hiscontrol. He has entered a feeding frenzythat will only cease when the target hasbeen completely drain of energy.
If the Energy Vampire fails to makeany FEAT during the feeding process, hebreaks off his attack and cannotreestablish it. The victim instantlydevelops an immunity to that particular
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Energy Vampire, and cannot besubjected to any of his future attacks.However, this does not protect the victimfrom other Energy Vampires. The drainedenergy is added in equal amounts to theVampire's Strength, Endurance, Psyche,and any other Powers he possesses.The exception is this Power; no Vampireof any type can increase his own Power.
Example: Evan the Energy Vampirepossesses Good Energy Vampirism. Hisintended victim is Heatwave, a humanwith two Powers (Typical Gliding andExcellent Heat Emission) and GoodPsyche. Evan makes the required FEATroll (not red) to begin feeding, and drains10 points from his victim's highest Powerrank number. Heatwave's Heat Emissionloses 10 points and drops to Good.Evan's three abilities go up 3 pointseach, thus increasing his Health by 6.The next turn, Evan makes anotherFEAT and drains another 10 points,drawn equally from Heatwave's Psycheand Heat Emission (dropping each by 5points). Add another 3 points to Evan'sthree abilities and another 6 to hisHealth. The next FEAT is a repeatperformance. At this point, Evan's playerdecides he's had enough, and rolls a 43;quitting is no problem.
Why do Energy Vampires do it? Due totheir odd nature, they lose energy at adreadful rate. Their rank numbers forStrength, Endurance, and Psyche, andall Powers (except this one), drop 1 pointper hour. The Energy Vampire must feedto bring those abilities and Powers up totheir original levels.
An Energy Vampire cannot actuallystarve to death; when all his affectedrank numbers reach Shift 0, he enters adeathlike trance. His Vampirismcontinues to function and tries to drainanything that comes in contact with him.When the Vampire's abilities return toFeeble, he returns to life. When creatingthe Energy Vampire, the player mustchoose a weakness. He can increase thePower rank by +1CS by choosing asecond weakness, up to a maximum of+3CS (four weaknesses) for the EnergyVampire.
Energy Vampirism is communicable. Aliving and/or sentient victim who wasCompletely drained of all energy by anEnergy Vampire must make a mandatoryPsyche FEAT roll. On a red result, he
becomes an Energy Vampire with FeeblePower rank.
EC10/Fire Control: The hero can controlexisting flames, whether natural orPower-based. He can alter any factorinvolved in combustion without directphysical contact. The hero can increaseor decrease the flame's Intensity up to hisPower rank and reduce fire damage byhis rank number. This Power includesPower rank Resistance to Fire and Heat.The most important aspect of this Poweris enabling the hero to reshape flame intoany form he desires. This can be used ina variety of Power stunts, as the herodevelops numerous fiery constructs toperform miscellaneous deeds. Such fieryconstructs do not act like normal flames.They emit less heat and consume lessoxygen. Their fire doesn't spread past theoutline of the constructs. In addition, theyself-extinguish rapidly upon cessation ofthis Power. Optional Powers include FireGeneration, Thermal Control, EnergySheath, and Energy Body.
EC11/Gravity Manipulation: The herocan control gravity, the force that attractsall particles to all other particles. Gravityalways exists wherever there is tangiblematter. (in dimensions composed entirelyof energy, though, gravity is optional.)The hero doesn't really generate gravity;he simply changes the Intensity of what'salready there. He can increase ordecrease the Intensity of gravity by hisPower rank number. This effect may becentered on himself or projected onto atarget. This permit him to develop avariety of Power stunts:
• Changing the direction of gravity.• Creating artificial gravity in a normally
weightless situation.• Launching targets into space by
reducing their weight to zero and lettingthe Earth's revolution fling them upward.
• Levitation at -1CS speed; this can bedone to the hero himself or a target.
• Incapacitating a foe by suddenly,drastically increasing his weight beyondhis Strength's capacity to move.
• Forcing aircraft to land by increasingtheir weight beyond their engines' liftpotential.
• Sinking ships by making their weightexceed their buoyancy.
• Forming large asteroids by coalescing
spacial debris.
The gravity remains altered for as longas the Power functions. After cessation,gravity returns to normal.
EC12/Hard Radiation Control: The herocan control existing radiation, including X-rays, alpha, beta, gamma, and cosmicrays. The hero can increase or decreasethe radiation's Intensity, up to his Powerrank, and reduce the damage done byradiation up to his Power rank number. Thehero can direct the flow of radiation andcan alter its nature by converting any formof radiation to any other form. If a radiation-related Power is involved, the target'sPower rank determines the Intensity of therequired FEAT. For example, an AmazingIntensity FEAT is required to controlAmazing Radiation Emission.
Optional Powers include HardRadiation Emission, EnergyDoppelganger, Energy Sheath, EnergyBody, and Energy Sustenance.
EC13/Kinetic Control: The hero cancontrol the energy of motion itself. Hecan increase or decrease kineticenergy's Intensity by his Power ranknumber. With a Typical Intensity FEAT,he can change the direction of anymoving target. He can impart momentumas if he physically pushed the target, withhis Power rank taken as Strength.
The primary purpose of Kinetic Controlis to control Telekinesis and Kinetic Bolts.In the former case, the hero can redirectthe target's efforts. A FEAT equal to thetarget's Power rank taken as Intensityensures this. In the latter case, the herocan shape Kinetic Bolts into forms thatcan perform complex tasks. The difficultyof such tasks determines the Intensity ofthe required FEAT. The hero can have aBonus Power of either Telekinesis orKinetic Bolt.
The remaining Power can be anOptional one.
EC14/Light Control: The hero canmanipulate existing light. This can bevisible, infrared, or ultraviolet light. Thehero can alter the intensity, frequency(color, in other words), and coherence oflight on a Good Intensity FEAT. The herocan actually change the direction of light
24
and -form crude holograms on aRemarkable Intensity FEAT. Suchholograms are little more than clouds orsingle-color walls. The Power allows+1CS Resistance to Light-based Powers,since the hero can redirect or dispel them.
Optional Powers include LightGeneration, Energy Sheath, CarrierWave, and Illusion Casting. The Nemesisis itself.
EC15/Magnetic Manipulation: The herocan control magnetic force. He canincrease or decrease magnetism'sIntensity by his Power rank number. Hecan use existing magnetism, whethernatural or Power-based, to perform anydesired task. The required IntensityFEAT is equal to the Intensity rank of themagnetism.
The hero can alter the polarity of amagnetic field (but not a neutron flow!).He can shape the field into forms toproduce any effect. These can bedeveloped as Power Stunts.
The Power can be used to controlsimple machinery. The simplest form ismerely rendering the machine inoperableby altering the magnetism of thecomponents. A more refined use of thePower enables the hero to actuallycontrol a machine.
EC16/Plasma Control: The hero cancontrol fields of highly-charged particles.The hero can increase or decrease theplasma's Intensity and reduce itsdamage by his Power rank number. ThePower includes Power rank Resistanceto plasma's effects.
The Power has two main uses. Thefirst is shaping plasma fields into anyshape desired. This can be developedinto a variety of Power stunts as the herodevelops numerous plasm a-constructsto perform various deeds. Suchconstructs do possess the typical side-effects of plasma fields, and dissipateupon cessation of the Power.
The second use of Plasma Controlenables the hero to counteract plasma-related Powers. These include PlasmaGeneration, Energy Doppelganger,Energy Sheath, and Energy Body. Thetarget's Power rank determines therequired intensity of the FEAT. Forexample, an Excellent Intensity FEAT isrequired to control Excellent Plasma
Generation.Optional Powers include Plasma
Generation, Energy Doppelganger,Energy Sheath, and Energy Body.
EC17/Radiowave Control: The hero cancontrol existing radiowaves, whetherAM., FM, or microwaves. The hero canincrease or decrease the radiowaves'Intensity by his Power rank number. AGood intensity FEAT permits the hero toalter the frequency and direction of suchwaves and garble transmissions. Thehero has Power rank Resistance toradio-based attacks; such attacks arenormally limited to an opponent thinkinghe's a microwave oven about to cook thehero's goose. The Power really comesinto its own when used as a form ofelectronic-age Illusion Casting. That is,the hero creates complex signals thatsimulate an actual broadcast. Voice-onlybroadcasts can be simulated by a TypicalIntensity FEAT. Musical or multi-voicebroadcasts require an Excellent IntensityFEAT, as does a still picture. A singlefigure with a blank background or asimple cartoon-like broadcast requires anIncredible Intensity FEAT. A single figurewith a complex background (think of anevening news broadcast) requires aMonstrous Intensity FEAT. Any otherbroadcast can be simulated on a Shift XIntensity FEAT (think Academy Awardsproduction numbers, and you'll see whyso high).
Obviously, this is a Power that is onlyreally useful in high-tech campaigns. Oh,it could exist in a primitive situation, butthen who would know?
This has a Bonus Power of RadiowaveGeneration.
Optional Powers include EnergyDoppelganger, Energy Sheath, andCarrier Wave.
EC18/Shadowshaping: This is notDarkforce Manipulation; that's handledelsewhere. This Power enables the heroto affect normal shadows and, indirectly,light as well. The hero can shift thelocation and size of normal shadows. Hecan form them into two-dimensionalimages that can do Power rank damageto real targets. The hero can alsoRemote Sense through these shadow-constructs. The hero can increase ordecrease the Intensity of any shadow,
whether natural or Power-based, by hisPower rank number. This overlaps withLight Generation and Shadowcasting butdiffers in that either effect is possible andonly existing shadows or shadow-relatedPowers are affected.
The hero has the ability to see throughany shadow as if it were a normally-litarea, provided its Intensity is less than orequal to his Power rank. This does notapply to Darkforce, however.
This Power includes Power rankResistance to shadow-based Powers.
This has the Bonus Power ofShadowcasting.
Optional Powers include Light Control,Energy Sheath, and Energy Body. In thelast two cases, the hero resembles aliving shadow.
EC19/Sound Manipulation: The hero cancontrol existing sound. He can increasesound's Intensity by one rank by means ofa Power rank FEAT or decrease it by hisPower rank number. It also provides thehero with Resistance to sound-basedPowers; again, his Power rank numberdecreases the Intensity the attack.
This is possibly the single most usefulPower of all those that don't do actualdamage. The uses are infinite:
• Muting the voices of an opponentgroup, thus preventing them fromcoordinating their actions.
• Muting alarms.• Magnifying distant sounds to make
them audible at the hero's location• Increasing faint sounds to enable the
hero to perform certain actions (likecracking a combination lock).
• Destroying boom boxes if the herodoesn't like the music.
• Cranking up boom boxes if he does
Okay, a lot of the uses are somewhatfrivolous. Still, the ability to knock outvoice is a powerful weapon.
Sound Manipulation can also be usedto reinforce sound based Powers. Thehero can raise the other Power rank+1CS as long as this Power functions.
This has a Bonus Power of SoundGeneration. Optional Powers includeVibration and Vibration Control.
EC20/Thermal Control: The herocontrol applied heat or cold; that is, can
25
ENERGY EMISSION
control any force that actively changesthe temperature of something else. Thisincludes any source of heat or cold,whether natural, artificial, or Powerbased. The Power overlaps both Heatand Cold Generation but it also differsfrom them in that this Power cannotaffect the natural temperature of a targetor alter the local temperature to suit thehero's whim. For example, ThermalControl could cool a girder being heatedin a furnace, since that thing is beingactively heated, but it could not change.the temperature of another girder lyingoutside the furnace (nothing is beingdone to that one).
Thermal Control is mostly used tocounteract or supplement temperaturealtering Powers. The Power can affectsuch others as soon as they are emittedfrom the target's body. That is, you canaffect the Human Torch's fireballs but nothis Fire Sheath. The target's Power rankdetermines the required Intensity of theFEAT. Controlling the Torch's heat takesan Unearthly Intensity FEAT.
Optional Powers include Heat Gen-eration, Fire Generation, Cold Generation,Fire Control, and Coldshaping.
EC21/Vibration Control: The hero cancontrol existing vibrations. These may benatural or Power-based. The hero canincrease or decrease the Intensity of thevibration by his Power rank number. Hehas Power rank Resistance to Vibrationand Sonic attacks.
A Power like this can make a heroextremely popular in a quake-pronelocale like southern California. Using theRichter scale, these are the requiredIntensities of the FEATs for controllingeach class of earthquake.
Richter
Number
1
2345678
Intensity
FE, PR
TY, GDEX, RMIN, AMMN, UNShift X, Shift YShift Z, CL1000CL3000, CL5000
course, if your hero possesses Vibrationas well, he might get blamed for thequake. On a smaller scale, the Powercan be used in a variety of everydaysituations:
• The hero can distort or even mute atarget's voice. This effectively negatesvocal Powers. This is done by directlyaffecting the target's larynx.
• If your campaign includes otherDimensions that can be reached byadjusting your vibratory rate to that ofthe chosen dimension, then this Powerwill do the trick on an AmazingIntensity FEAT.
• The hero can cripple gyroscopes, thusdisabling any vehicles dependent onthem (subs, aircraft). This is a TypicalIntensity FEAT, which incidentally alsoworks against robots.
• The hero can adjust the vibratory rateof his own atoms, permitting him toPhase through solid objects or letsolids (like bullets) pass harmlesslythrough him.
Optional Powers include Vibration,Sonic Generation, and SoundManipulation.
ArmsHandsFingersLegsFeetWingsAntennae/hornsTailAny location
47-5455-6263-6768-7071-7374-7677-8182-8687-00
Energy Emission Powers
Power can be emitted by any part of the
hero's body. For most Powers, it is notimportant to specify the emergence point.For the Powers of the Energy Emissionclass, though, emission points becomeimportant. This affects how the heroutilizes his Power. It determines waysgoes can negate that Power. If the heroloses the part of his body containing theemission point, he may lose his Poweras well. When creating the hero, theplayer should determine an, emissionpoint for any Energy Emission Powers.He may select the first one rolled as thepoint for all of his character's EnergyEmissions, or be adventurous anddetermine one for each Power.
E-point
Entire body
HeadEyesMouth and noseTorso
d100 roll
01-14
15-2223-3031-3839-46
Okay, if California is determined to fallinto the sea, you won't be much help. Of
Entire body: Power radiates from an aurasurrounding the entire body. -Power canbe emitted in any direction without thehero actually having to physically point.Head: Power emanates from an aurasurrounding only the hero's head. Powercan be emitted in any direction desiredwithout the hero's having to nod his head.Eyes: Power is emitted through the hero'spupils. The power is directed whereverthe hero is looking. If the eyelids areclosed, this Power cannot function.Mouth and nose: The Power is primarilyemitted through the hero's mouth. Toaim, he turns his head and shapes themouth as though blowing out a candle.Seepage occurs through the nose; thiscannot be aimed, and the Power isreduced -2CS in Intensity.Torso: The Power is emitted from anaura on the hero's chest. The Powertravels in a straight line, perpendicular tothe body.Arms: The Power is emitted from an aurasurrounding either or both arms. ThePower travels in the direction in which theforearm is pointed (if one arm is used) orin a vector (if both arms are used).Hands: The Power is emitted from an aurasurrounding the hero's hand, fist, or palm.Power travels in the plane formed by thefingers, in line with the whole fist, or in aline perpendicular to the open palm.Fingers: The Power is emitted form anaura surrounding the hero's fingers (anynumber, from one to all of them). Ittravels in a straight line in the directionthe finger points. Usually, the index fingerdirects the Power, if only one finger isused. If the hero has multiple Powers,each Power can be assigned to adifferent finger.Legs: Power is emitted downward froman aura surrounding both legs. It isdifficult to aim leg-emitted Power, whichtravels in the line defined by the lowerleg. Such Powers are usually limited inrange to contact only.
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Feet: Power is emitted by the hero'ssoles. As above, such Powers aredifficult to aim and are usually limited tocontact-only.Wings: Power is emitted from an aurasurrounding the hero's wings. Power maytravel in the plane formed by the wingsor in a line perpendicular to their openposition.Antennae/Horns: Power is emitted froman all the antennae on the hero's head.Power travels in a straight line from thelast section of the antennae.Tail: Power is emitted from the tip of thehero's tail and follows a straight line inthe direction the tail points.Any location: The hero can emit Powerfrom any section of the body he chooses,and can change emission points witheach use of the Power.
Ranges for these Powers can be foundon the Range Table, inside the frontcover. Appropriate ranges are listed oncolumn A.
EE1/Cold Generation: This Power is thepure form of Ice Generation and one it isoften confused with. The hero can emit afield that decreases thermal energy andinfrared radiation.
The Power decreases the temperatureof the target; the amount is determinedboth by a FEAT and the Power ranknumber. A Typical FEAT drops thetemperature by 10x the rank number; aRemarkable FEAT drops it by 20x therank number; and an Unearthly FEATdrops it by 40x the rank number. Forexample, a hero with Remarkable ColdGeneration can lower a target'stemperature by 300 (10x30) to 1200(40x3O) degrees. The only limitation isthat the temperature cannot drop lowerthan absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsiusor -459.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
The power has the side-effect of coolingthe air between the hero and the target.Gases within that area may condense.Such by-products evaporate quickly afterthe Power ceases to operate.
Cold Generation can be used tonegate other sources of cold, whetherPower-based, artificial, or environmental;its Power rank decreases the intensity ofthe affected cold. However, it cannot beused to raise the temperature of a frigidenvironment. The hero with this Power
has Power rank level resistance to Coldin any form.
Optional Powers include Coldshaping,Condensation, Solidification, and Molding.Nemeses include Heat Emission, FireGeneration, and Thermal Control.
EE2/Electrical Generation: The herocan create electrical streams that can doPower rank damage. The hero canproject the electricity through anyconductive medium, such as air, water,or metal, at Power rank range. If theplayer chooses, the hero can gain +2CSto his damage by choosing to limit hisrange to contact only. In this case, therange can be extended by conductingthe Power through solid conductors likemetal. Electricity comes in various forms:
• Static electricity causes magneticattraction between objects and candisrupt electronic communications.
• Lightning is sheer, raw, destructivepower and by far the most popularform of this Power.
• Alternating current is what ourtechnology is driven by. This Powercan either energize or overload normalelectrical devices.
• Direct current is what a batteryproduces. It can energize or overloaddevices that use DC power. It can alsoshort out devices that use AC power.
The hero can use any form at will or canraise his rank +1CS by specializing in aparticular form. This Power automaticallyincludes Power rank Resistance toElectricity; no FEAT is required to resistyour own Power. This Power is linked toElectrical Control and Energy Sheath.When creating the hero, the player canexchange any randomly determinedPowers for these if he so desires. Extremeheat reduces this Power's rank by theIntensity rank of the heat. Conversely,extreme cold increases the rank by thecold's Intensity rank. At Shift X level, thehero gains the ability to create a stream ofconductive gas, thus allowing the Power tofunction even in a vacuum.
EE3/Energy Doppelganger: The herocan generate an Energy Body from hisown body. This Doppelganger can havePowers of its own, including thosecharacteristic to the type of energy of
which the Doppelganger is composed.The Doppelganger automatically has thePower of True Flight, While the playercan decide which Powers are possessedby whom, a rule of thumb is that themajority of physical Powers are assignedto the Doppelganger. The player mustalso decide whether the Doppelganger issimply an extension of the hero's will or ifit has an independent, but obedient,mind. If the player chooses the latter heraises the Power rank +1CS; he canraise it another +1CS by having thelapse into unconsciousness when heuses the Power, since his mind is directlytied into maintaining the Doppelganger'sexistence. Any damage to theDoppelganger is subtracted from thehero's Psyche.
Rank determines the duration of theDoppelganger and the minimum ran anyPowers it possesses. Normally the herocan generate only one Doppelganger ata time. At extremely high ranks, the herocan generate additional Doppelgangers.The number is equal to 1% of the Powerrank number (round up). For example, atClass 1000 rank the hero can create 10simultaneous beings.
Such beings have a decreasedResistance (-2CS) to plasma-basedattacks since these disrupt the energyfield that forms the Doppelganger. Theypossess an increased Resistance (+4CS)to attacks based on Light, Heat, Flame,Vibrations, and Sonics, since they haveno solid mass to affect.
The Nemesis Power is Plasma Control.
EE4/Fire Generation: The hero canproject fire with Power rank damage andrange. These flames have no apparentfuel source and spring from the hero as ifhe were a living fuel tank. Although theflames' fuel comes out of the proverbialnowhere, free oxygen must be presentfor the Power to function. If not, the herocan cause a single flame that lasts' onlyone turn, then fizzles out. At Shift X rank,the hero gains the ability to generateoxygen as well, permitting this Power tofunction under any conditions. Whencreating the hero, the player can choosethe Powers of Flame Control, EnergySheath, and Energy Body to fill any slotsstill open. For example, under theUltimate system, the Human Torchpossesses three powers: Fire
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Generation, Fire Control, and EnergySheath.
This has to be the most dangerousPower around. Heroes have to watch outfor accidental firestorms. They also tendto consume all the oxygen in theirlocation, making everyone pass out. Thenthere is the question of smoke and gasescreated by the hero's Flame Power. Itmakes me wonder what kind of ventilationsystem the Baxter Building has
Fire Generation is the opposing Powerto Cold Emission, Coldshaping, andPowers that use water. This Power gains+1CS when fighting these Powers. It alsoloses -1CS when being attacked bythose Powers.
EE5/Hard Radiation Emission: Thiscovers the dangerous section of theenergy spectrum: ultraviolet light, x-rays,and alpha and beta particles, gammarays, and the ever-popular "cosmic rays."The hero can project any of these typesat Power rank range and damage. Whencreating the hero, the player can raisehis rank +1CS by specializing in aparticular type of hard radiation. Forgame purposes, we'll assume that thehero has total control over his owninherent radioactivity and possessesautomatic safe-guards that prevent himfrom fatally contaminating the area eachtime he uses his Power. This Power islinked to Radiation Control; the playercan exchange one of his other Powersfor Radiation Control when creating thehero, if he so desires.
EE6/ Heat: The hero can generate pureheat that is not necessarily accompaniedby light or flame by acceleratingmolecular motion. This permits the heroto do rank level effects over targetmaterials. Some Power Stunts usingpure heat include:
• Causing the breakdown of molecularor even atomic bonds (Amazing andUnearthly FEATs, respectively).
• Negating a target's magnetism• Negating a target's electrical
conductivity.• Strengthening materials by heat-treating.• Changing local weather by heating the
air; this can cause small cyclones andelectrical storms.
Because this Power uses pure heat, itcan function in conditions that negateFlame Emission, like the absence of freeOxygen or the hero's being underwater.Beings who possess Thermal Vision orAbnormal Sensitivity can detect aninfrared glow around, the hero and histarget whenever he uses his Power. HeatEmission is the Nemesis of ColdEmission, Coldshaping, and Powers thatuse water. This Power gains +1CS whenattacking those Powers and loses -1CSwhen being attacked by them.
EE7/Kinetic Bolt: This is a crude form ofM30/Telekinesis. The hero can strike atarget with a surge of force at Powerrank range and damage. The Kinetic Boltcan be shaped as desired by the hero. Itcan be a wide cylinder, or an incrediblyfine needle. Its effect is the same as ifthe target had been struck by a solidobject of equal material strength. ThisPower can affect only tangible materials.It includes Resistance to Kinetic Bolts,Kinetic Control, or Telekinesis. OptionalPowers are Kinetic Control andTelekinesis, which are also the Nemeses.
EE8/Light Emission: The hero can emitpowerful bursts of light do Power rankdamage at rank range. The light may beof any nature:
• Normal light in any color or intensity;the hero can light the area, dispelShadow Powers, and temporarily blindtargets.
• Coherent Light (lasers) do rank levelheat damage as they burn into targets.Lasers can also be used to carryinformation or to create holograms.
• Optic blasts do rank level damage butrather than burn a target, they act asKinetic Bolts.
The player can raise the hero's rankupon creation by +2CS if he choosesspecialization in a specific form of thisPower.
EE9/Magnetism: The hero can generateintense magnetic force. The magneticfield may be centered on the hero's bodyor be projected at rank range. The fieldcan affect anything susceptible tomagnetism, attracting it with Power rankStrength. If the target itself is magnetic,
the hero can attract it at +1CS or repel itat Power rank. The hero can inducemagnetism into any materials that cansustain a magnetic field; these includeferrous materials, iron-bearing clays andplastics, and ferrous ores. The hero cando rank level damage to electronicdevices by scrambling internal signals;this is especially effective againstmagnetic recordings and micro-chipdependent devices. This Power canaffect other Powers. It can redirectElectrical Generation by a TypicalIntensity FEAT if the other Power's rankis lower, a Remarkable Intensity FEAT ifequal, and an Unearthly Intensity FEAT ifthe other Power is higher. It can disruptElectric or Magnetic Control and EnergySheath or Energy Body, if either aremagnetic in nature.
The Power has its drawbacks. Itattracts some types of attacks if the herois careless. Such attacks as ElectricalGeneration or anything using ferrousmaterials (knives, missiles) gain +2CS.This Power is its own primary Nemesis.
EE10/Plasma Generation: Plasmarefers to here to a field of highly-chargedparticles. Common examples include theaurora borealis, the glow in a fluorescenttube, the Van Allen Belt, and the heart ofa nuclear blast. Plasmas may be of anynature: fiery, magnetic, electrical,radioactive, or be of a previouslyunknown form of energy. This last groupincludes many super-powers, livingenergy fields, and beings who cantransform themselves into pure energy.
The hero can project Plasma fields atPower rank range. Due to the uniquenature of this Power, it does damage ontwo levels. The primary level is bruteforce; the field does Power rank damageThere are also side-effects based on thenature of each Plasma bolt. Plasma fieldshave two of the following side effects:
• Light at -2CS level of illumination• Heat at -2CS damage• Flame at -2CS damage• Hard Radiation at -2CS damage• Magnetism at -2CS damage but full
Power rank range• Electricity at -2CS damage.
The hero initially possesses a singletype of Plasma with two set side-effects
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FIGHTING
that occur each time he uses his Power.Later he can develop other Plasmas withdifferent side-effects as Power Stunts.
Plasma is a Nemesis to the Powers ofEnergy Sheath and Energy Body. Thehero gains +1CS when attacking eitherPower. Plasma's own Nemeses arePlasma Control and Power Control.
EE11/Radiowave Generation: The herocan generate radiowaves, including AMand FM signals and microwaves. ThisPower primarily affects broadcasting andelectronics; the Power can do rankdamage over rank range to these. ThePower can also be used to directly affectany target by internally heating it throughmicrowave bombardment. Used in thismanner, the Power has -2CS on itsdamage and range.
Optional Powers include RadiowaveControl, Energy Sheath, and CarrierWave. Nemeses include RadiowaveControl, Energy Absorption, and ForceField vs. Energy.
EE12/Shadowcasting: The hero canemit a field that decreases light andradiation. The obscured energy's Intensityis lowered by the Power's rank taken asIntensity. The energy forms that can beaffected by this Power are Light, Heat,Hard Radiation, Radiowaves, EnergyDoppelgangers, and Energy Bodies.
The hero possesses the ability to affectonly Light when his Power is at Goodrank. At each rank above Good, he gainsthe ability to affect another energy formin the following order: EX-Heat, RM-HardRadiation, IN-Radiowaves, AM-EnergyDoppelgangers, MN-Energy Bodies.
This Power includes the ability to seeclearly through his own natural or Power-created shadows of Intensity less thatthe hero's Power rank.
The Power can disrupt DarkforceManipulation on a Typical Intensity FEATif its rank is higher than that of theDarkforce manipulator, RemarkableIntensity FEAT if they are equal, andUnearthly Intensity FEAT if the Power'srank is lower.
Optional Powers include Shadow-shaping and Darkforce Manipulation.
The Nemesis is Light Emission.
EE13/Sonic Generation: The hero cangenerate intense sound and make
attacks of Power rank range anddamage. This Power can generatefrequencies normally inaudible. The herocan disrupt other sound-based Powersby creating dissonance as his harmonicsclash with the second Power'sharmonics. The hero's own rank issubtracted from the target harmonic'sIntensity. Optional Powers include SonicControl, Vibration, and Vibration Control.Nemeses are this Power itself and thethree just listed. The Power needs amedium to carry the sound, whethergaseous, liquid, or solid. It cannotfunction in a vacuum unless the hero istouching a solid through which he cantransmit his Power. This Power can beused in tandem with the Power ofSpeech-Throwing to permit SonicGeneration to affect even unconnectedtargets in a vacuum.
EE14/Vibration: The hero can generatenon-audible vibrations. These can alterexisting harmonics, effectively negatingany sonic- or vocal-based Power. Thehero can cause tremors at Power rankrange and damage. The Power can evenbe used to incapacitate living targets;effects can vary from motion sickness(nausea and vomiting) to death byinternal hemmorhaging.
This Power includes Resistance toVibratory attacks. Optional Powersinclude Vibration Control and SonicGeneration.
Some possible Power Stunts include:
• Forming a vibratory shield that canprovide up to +2CS protection. Thevibrations make the hero harder to hitas weapons are thrust aside by thefield. At higher ranks it can even causethe weapon's own structure tocollapse.
• Negating vocal powers by sending thehero's own vibrations into the target'slarynx. For example, your hero couldreduce Lorelei's song to a gurgle.
• Throwing machinery out of kilter byvibrating delicate components.
Fighting Powers
F1/Berserker: The hero can enter into a
battle rage that alters the hero in somesignificant ways. Reason and Psyche
plummet to Feeble rank while the ranksfor Strength and Fighting increase by thesame number of ranks. (That is, the totalnumber of points lost are split evenlybetween the Fighting and Strengthranks.) The hero also develops Iron Willfor the duration of the Berserker rage;the rank for this is the same as theBerserker Power's rank. The Berserkerlasts for the length of combat and 10turns. When the rage ends, all thealtered Abilities return to their originalranks. Since the Iron Will alsodisappears, the hero finally feels theeffects of any damage he suffered whilein the Berserker rage.
Example: Orlando the Furious hasFeeble Strength, Good Fighting,Remarkable Reason, Incredible Psycheand Excellent Berserker Power. When heenters the Berserker rage, the followingoccurs. Psyche and Reason drop toFeeble, a total of 66 points. This isbetween Orlando's Strength and Fightingranks. Strength increases toRemarkable, Fighting to Incredible.Finally, he develops Excellent Iron Will.The carnage that ensues is short andmessy. Orlando emerges victorious butremains rather dangerous to be aroundfor another 10 turns (5 minutes).
The Optional Power is NaturalWeaponry. Thus, you can build your ownWolverine (or other violent, crotchetyanimal from the northwoods).
The Nemesis Power for this is MentalDomination.
F2/Martial Arts Supremacy: In theMARVEL SUPER HEROES game systemFighting is considered an Ability, not aPower. However, this Power increases ahero's already-mastered Martial Arts (aTalent in the game system) todramatically higher levels and allows himto perform actions that would otherwisebe impossible, like splitting a battleship intwo with a single karate chop.
Martial Arts as explained in theAdvanced Set falls into five categorieslabeled A through E for simplicity's sake:
• A-This form uses the opponent'sStrength against him and permits thehero to Stun or Slam an opponentregardless of their relative Strengthsand Endurances.
• B-This form is keyed to offense by
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inflicting damage by short, quickbursts. The hero gains +1CS Fightingwhen engaged in unarmed combat.
• C-This form concentrates on holds andescapes. The hero gains +1CS to hisStrength when Grappling or Grabbingand +1CS to his Agility when dodging.
• D-This form seeks out the opponent'sweak points and strikes at them. Thehero can ignore the effects of physicalArmor when determining Stun andSlam results. Unfortunately, the heromust study his opponent for two turnsbefore he can bring this effect intoplay.
• E-This form encourages quick strikingto catch an opponent off-guard. Thehero gains +1 to initiative rolls whenengaged in unarmed combat.
The player chooses one of the aboveMartial Arts and determines its rankwhen he creates the hero. When thisPower shows up, add its Power ranknumber to the already determined Talentrank number.
For example, the Kung Fu Kommandopossesses Martial Arts E at Typical rankand Martial Arts Supremacy at Goodrank. These combine to give Kung FuKommando an Excellent rank for hisMartial Arts.
Martial Arts Supremacy can be used todo rank-level damage against non-livingmatter.
For example, Kung Fu Kommando canshatter iron, concrete, or bullet-proofglass with a red Power rank FEAT.
If desired, this Power can be modifiedto fit any Fighting skill the prayer canimagine. This can include Supremacy inany one weapon, such asswordsmanship or archery.
Optional Powers include Iron Will andWeapons Creation.
The Nemesis Power is Martial ArtsSupremacy of one rank higher than thatpossessed by the hero.
F3/Natural Weaponry: The hero's bodycontains special anatomical features thatcan function as weapons. These may beof any nature and can be external,internal, or retractable. If these aredamaged the hero suffers as if they werenormal body parts.
When creating the hero, the playerdecides the nature of the weaponry. The
weaponry chosen possesses this Powerand rank taken as material strength forpurposes of determining potential damage.
Each time the player rolls this Power,he can add another weapon to the hero.As stated in the Player's Book, someforms of Natural Weaponry provide BonusPowers (see "Claws" and "Extra BodyParts"). These are placed in the nextavailable slot in the Power Generation.
The player and the Judge need towork together to create a functional hero.A drawback to this Power is that if thehero is somehow deprived of his NaturalWeaponry, he suffers a loss to his Fight-ing Ability equal to his weapon's rank.
Example: Due to a mishap with a mattertransmitter, Wolverine temporarily loseshis claws. He's so shaken that his normalIncredible Fighting Ability drops to Feeble.
If the Natural Weaponry is made ofmaterials not normally found in the body,it makes the hero vulnerable to attacksthat affect those materials. For instance,Wolvie has a -1CS resistance toMagneto's powers, since they can affecthis metal skeleton.
F4/Weapons Creation: The hero cancreate any desired weapon out of thin air.The weapon can be of any design, size,and material. The size of the weapon islimited by its weight. The hero can onlycreate in a single turn a maximumnumber of ounces equal to his Powerrank number. Heavier weapons have tobe assembled in pieces over a span ofseveral turns. While the material strengthof the created weapon is the same asthat of a normally-manufactured weaponof the same type, its duration is muchshorter. The lifespan of the weapon isdetermined at the time of creation. ATypical Intensity FEAT gives the weapona lifespan of 100 turns times the hero'sReason rank number. On an AmazingIntensity FEAT, the weapon lasts for thehero's Reason rank number times 10,000turns. Should he make an UnearthlyIntensity FEAT, the weapon will bepermanent.
Each ounce of created mattertemporarily costs the hero 1 Health point.All points lost in this manner areregained after 24 hours. Thus, the herocan only create a weapon weighing thenumber of ounces equal to his Healthscore in a single day.
The hero must have-detailedknowledge of any weapon he wants tocreate. He can only store a limitednumber of weapons' designs in hismemory. The total number of memoryslots available to this Power equals thehero's Reason rank number. The playermust keep a record of the weapons hecan create. This list can be changed atany time. A green Reason FEAT gainsthe hero a new design. If no openmemory slots are available, an olddesign is tossed away to make room forthe new one.
Normally, the Power is used to makefacsimiles of existing weapons. The heromust make a detailed study of theweapon for at least 10 minutes beforeattempting a FEAT. Failure to make theFEAT means the hero must spendanother 10 minutes studying the weaponbefore attempting another FEAT. Someweapons might be beyond the hero'scomprehension, if the player has reallybad luck when rolling the dice.
The hero can create new weaponsbased solely on his imagination andbasic knowledge of weapons design.This requires intense concentration and ared Power rank FEAT.
The newly created weapon has thesame characteristics as a normallycreated one of its type. In the case ofaltered or imaginary weapons, the playerand Judge should agree on a reasonableand playable set of characteristics for theweapon in question.
The Power includes versions ofElemental and Molecular Creation. Eachelement or compound takes up its ownmemory slot, just like the throwingdaggers and broadswords that clutter thehero's mind. Such raw matter can beformed into any weapon's shape. Thispermits the hero to change thecomposition of any already-memorizeddesigns. For example, if he has alreadymemorized the design of an arrow andthe nature of silver he can create bothwood and steel arrows and silver arrows.
Weapons created materialize in thehero's hands.
There is an exception to the rules thusfar. When creating the hero, the playercan choose to specialize in creating asingle copy of a special weapon. In thiscase, the weight limit is raised from oneounce per Health point to one pound per
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ILLUSORY
Health point. Such special weapons arenever permanent; Unearthly IntensityFEATs are treated the same as AmazingIntensity ones. One example of thisoption is Magik's Soulsword.
The Optional Power for this is a formof Martial Arts Supremacy that uses aspecial weapon, as in the optionexplained above.
The Nemesis Power is TrueInvulnerability.
F5/Weapons Tinkering: The hero candevise and assemble any weapon thatcan be made with the availablematerials. By means of a red FEAT, thehero can even improvise a means ofcreating unavailable materials(adamantium, for example). Provided hehas the resources, the hero canassemble a functional copy of anyweapon. As to what weapons he canmake, use the Resource costs listed inthe Hardware section of the Player'sBook (pages 42-46). Compare thePower's rank with the cost of the desiredweapon. Equal or lower cost weaponscan be created on a green FEAT. A costof one to three levels higher requires ayellow FEAT. A cost of four to six levelshigher requires a red FEAT. If the cost ofthe desired weapon is more than sixlevels higher than the hero's Power rank,it is an impossible FEAT.
Example: Dr. Fixit has ExcellentWeapons Tinkering and access to hisbrother-in-law's junkyard. He wants tobuild a battle-copter with adamantiumarmor. The copter has an Amazing cost.True adamantium has a Shift X cost;secondary adamantium has an Unearthlycost. Dr. Fixit makes the yellow FEAT; hiscopter will work. He doesn't have anyadamantium, though, and tries toimprovise. He fails to make a red FEAT;neither batch of "home-brewed"adamantium worked. Oh well, he canalways convert that old boiler he foundinto armor plate.
When creating the hero, the player canchoose to make the character a jack-of-all-trades or specialist in a particularfield. If he chooses to specialize, he canraise the rank +2CS. Categories ofweapons include:
Edged and Blunt weaponsProjectile weapons
Energy weaponsHeavy weaponsBattle weaponsAlien weaponsBattlesuitsWar robots
Needless to say, the player will have todevelop stats for anything he comes upwith. If he successfully copies existingtechnology, like the Iron Man battlesuit ora SHIELD Plasma Beam Handgun, hecan simply use the established stats forthat device. Weapons Locker (MHAC8)by Epperson and Grubb is a valuable aidto the player of a hero with this Power. Aclever character can also use this Powerto make money off of other characters bybuilding weapons on commission. Afterall, somebody's got to be building allthose super-weapons that fill the pagesof comic books
Illusory Powers
Ranges for the Powers in this book are
found on the Range Table printed on theinside front cover. The normal range forthe Powers in this section are found oncolumn B.
I1/Animate Image: This is a specializedform of Illusion-casting that enables thehero to apparently bring any flat image tolife. Whatever the original nature of theimage—drawing, painting, photograph,print—the image gains three-dimensionality and independentmovement. A blank white area now fillsthe area formerly occupied by the newlysolidified Image.
In actuality, the hero has created twoIllusions. The obvious one is the AnimatedImage that has peeled itself away from itsflat background and filled out into threedimensions. The second, more subtleIllusion is the "blank white area." The heroautomatically casts this Illusion to maskout the still-existing original picture; thissecondary Illusion lasts for 10-20 turns oruntil the primary Illusion ceases to exist,whichever comes first.
The initial range at which the hero canAnimate an Image is line-of-sight for onearea. This is also the maximum range atwhich the hero can normally maintain the"realism" of the Image. Simply put, the
hero has to be able to clearly see boththe Image and its surroundings. Wheneither is beyond his vision, thebelievability of the Image dropsdrastically. When the Image gets beyondthe hero's field of clear vision, he can nolonger make it realistically conform to thesurroundings.
Example: Kinescope Animates a lionoff of a circus poster and sends it aftersome muggers. The muggers flee arounda corner, the lion in pursuit.Unbeknownst to Kinescope, the alley isfull of trash cans, which the lion blithelypasses through. The muggers see thisand realize they've been had. Kinescopegets a surprise when he comes aroundthe corner.
The Image can exist for as long as thehero concentrates on maintaining it (theJudge is free to determine how easilythis can be done given thecircumstances the hero finds himself in).Although the Image can only berealistically controlled within one area ofthe hero's location, the Image can beprojected up to the full range for thisPower. Once beyond the one area limit,the Image is easily perceived by othersas a holographic projection. The herocan overcome this limit by extending therange of his own senses, either throughartificial means (telescopes, remote TVcamera, etcetera) or by using senseextending Powers. In such cases, thehero can extend realistic control of theImage up to the range limits for thisPower and whatever means he employsto extend his vision.
Example: Kinescope has an Excellentrank for this Power and can project anImage up to 25 areas (3300 feet) away.He also has Good Clairvoyance with amaximum range of 2500 miles. By usingboth Powers, he can maintain therealism of his Images up to the maximumrange of 25 areas even through anyvision-blocking barriers.
The Image possesses whateverabilities or characteristics the originalmodel possessed. At least, it possessesthose abilities or characteristics the herobelieves the model possessed. This isafter all an Illusion that the hero hascreated. As such, it conforms to hisexpectations. What traits the Image hasare determined by the hero's imaginationand memory for detail. The accuracy of
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the Image is determined by the hero'sReason. A green FEAT creates an Imagethat is somehow flawed; it might movethe wrong way, lack a shadow, have nosurface detail, and so on. A yellow FEATcreates an Image that are nearly exact; aclose visual examination is required todistinguish the Image from reality. A redFEAT creates a perfect Illusion.
The typical Animated Image is anintangible holographic projection. Sincemost people rely 'exclusively on theirvision as the means of sensing theirenvironment, the Animated Image iseasily accepted as reality. Only whenother senses are used does the Imageget exposed as Illusion. Such Images aremechanically detectable and recordableby such means as photography andtelevision. Images can also deceive theartificial senses of mechanical beings.
The Animated Image is initially strictlycomposed of light. It lacks the othersensory details of a real object, mostnotably the sounds and smells of theoriginal. These can be simulated to givethe Animated Image greater reality. TheTalent of Ventriloquism or such Powersas Speechthrowing or Vocal Control canadd speech and incidental noises to theimage. Sensory Manipulation can create,deceptions of smell, temperaturedifference, and even tactile sensations.The coherent light of the Image blocksnormal light and creates normalshadows.
Since the Image is intangible, it cannotdirectly do physical damage to a target. Ifthe Image incorporates bright light, it hasthe potential of blinding the target. However, if the hero possesses certain otherPowers that can be combined with theImage then it can do actual damage. Ifthe hero also uses Energy Solidificationor any of the Matter Creation Powers, theImage gains temporary solidity. This lastsfor 1 -10 turns, regardless of the normalduration of effect for the supplementingPower. Note: this is determined by theJudge, not the player. Any of the EnergyEmission Powers can be apparentlyredirected through the Image.
For example, if the hero possessedboth Animate Image and Fire Generation,he could create a hazardous simulationof the Human Torch.
This Power can be combined withcertain Psionic Powers to create Images
that do psychosomatic damage to atarget. These Psionics, include Telepathy,Mental Domination, Hypnotic Control,and Neural Manipulation. Psychosomaticdamage occurs because the targetbelieves in the reality of the Image andthus the. -reality of any damage theImage is inflicting upon him.
For example, Kinescope combines hisPowers of Animate Image and NeuralManipulation to create an Image of a boaconstrictor. The boa enwrapsKinescope's opponent, who believes heis being crushed and passes out from hisimagined loss of breath.
Psychosomatic damage can beresisted by any target who becomesaware of the Image's lack of reality. Bewarned that psychosomatic damage canlead to fatal results if the targetsuccumbs to a heart attack or stroke.Note also that psychosomatic damagecannot affect non-sentient minds.
Animated Images can be of anynature, but are generally used tosimulate moveable objects and lifeforms.In all cases, the hero must have anactual image to work from. The AnimatedImage that results is the same size asthe original image. Not all of the modelhas to be present in the original image;the hero can fill in the rest from hisimagination. As he brings the AnimatedImage to life, it climbs out of the frame,revealing previously unshown parts.
For example, Kinescope Animates ahead-and-shoulders portrait of Lincoln.The visible parts immediately spring out;the rest of Abe's body is revealed as heclimbs out of the frame.
Animate Image can be used to alterimages within the plane of the originalpicture. The hero can alter the placementof sections of the picture or give them flatanimation, even making sections of thepicture apparently withdraw from thedepicted scene.
While the previous commentary hasspoken of this Power in terms oftranslating two dimensional images tothree-dimensional objects, it can also beused to simulate animation for alreadythree-dimensional objects, like statues orstuffed animals. This can be developedas a Power Stunt. The hero uses anexisting object for a model to base hisIllusions on. The primary Illusion is thestatue or whatever coming to life; the
secondary Illusion renders IllusoryInvisibility around the original. Thecharacteristics for the Image are acombination of the statue's materialcomposition and those traits the heroimagines the model for the statuepossessed.
Example: Kinescope encounters thievesoutside the Cleveland Art Museum. Hecasts his Power on Rodin's bronze, "TheThinker," that sits in front of the museum.The Image that results is a 15-foot-tallman made entirely of bronze andconsequently extremely strong and heavy.
By using his Power in this way, the herocan simulate any of the Matter Animation,Control, and Conversion Powers.
Optional Powers include eitherTelescopic Vision or Clairvoyance,Energy Solidification, and eitherElemental or Molecular Creation.
The Nemesis Powers are either Sonaror Radar, combined with temporaryblindness.
I2/Illusion-Casting: The hero can createrealistic holographic images that haveapparent solidity. These Illusions can bemechanically detected and recorded bysuch means as photography or television.That separates this Power from thepsionic, image-generating Power calledHallucinations, which produces imagesdirectly in the target's mind and cannotaffect mechanical senses.
The Illusion can take any size orappearance the hero desires and islimited only by his imagination. TheIllusion can be a realistic simulation, afanciful creation direct from the hero'smind, or an abstract display of light. Thehero is playing with light itself and cancreate anything that is visible. Sincemost people depend. on vision to gaininformation on their surroundings, thisPower presents the awesome ability toapparently alter the nature of reality.
The hero can cast his Illusionsanywhere within his Power rank range,though he must be able to clearly seethe area where the Illusion is forming ifhe wants to make it at all realistic. Thenormal limit for unaided vision is onearea (132 feet). Beyond that range thehero can no longer clearly see hisIllusion's surroundings and thus cannotalter the Illusion to reflect things going onaround the Illusion.
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For example, an Illusionary tree casttwo areas away might seem to be floatinga discreet two inches above the ground.
If the hero is unconcerned aboutmaintaining the reality of his Illusions,this limit can be ignored. The hero doesnot even need to be able to see theIllusion as it forms. Such uncontrolledIllusions appear as transparent, free-floating apparitions. If the Illusion takesthe form of a living being, viewers mightsee it as a ghost or other phantom form.If the hero possesses a means ofextending the range of his senses, hecan maintain the realism m of his Illusionat up to full range of both this Power andthat of whatever means he uses toextend his vision. Ways of increasing thesenses' range include mechanical meanssuch as binoculars and remote TVcameras and sense-extending Powers,most notably Telescopic Vision andClairvoyance.
Example: Deetee has an Incredible rankand can Illusion-Cast up to two milesaway. She also has a good pair ofbinoculars that enable her to see up to onemile away. For idle amusement, she likesto go to the top of tall buildings and CastIllusions at the pedestrians below. Shealso like to find the monitors for remotesurveillance cameras and use them todirect her Illusions into locked rooms.
Illusions last as long as the heroconcentrates on maintaining theirexistence. The Judge is free to determinehow long the hero can maintain hisconcentration in a given circumstance.Breaking the hero's concentrationabruptly terminates the Illusion, whilemerely getting distracted causes theIllusion to begin to lose realism (drift,lose detail, become translucent, and soon). The Illusion's effect on a viewervaries. A viewer must make an IntuitionFEAT against the Power rank of theIllusion-caster; success means theviewer now recognizes the Illusion's truenature. Players running charactersviewing an Illusion are only allowed tomake a FEAT if they suspect the Illusion.This can occur if they physically touchthe Illusion, if the Illusion is somehowflawed, or if the character is just naturallycynical. ("Congratulations, Les. So farthis morning you have attempted todisbelieve the existence of a flyingsaucer, Galactus, two muggers, and your
breakfast."). Since Illusion-Castingincludes the Power of Light Control,Illusions can provide a measure ofprotection against light-based attacks. AnIllusory tent would provide protectionagainst both infrared and ultraviolet light,thus keeping the hero cool and safe fromsunburn. Treat this Power as +2CSResistance to Light-based attacks. Itdoes not provide protection against anyof the other ways Moms Nature has ofaffecting us. That Illusory tent would bedrafty, cold, and flimsy.
Illusion Casting can be combined withother Powers to give 1he Illusionenhanced realism; this can also createIllusions that do real physical damage. Ifthe Illusion-caster has any of the EnergyEmission Powers, these can beredirected to apparently originate fromthe Illusion rather than from the hero.
For example, combining this Powerwith Plasma Generation would simulatethe Phoenix-force and fry any electronicsin the area.
More commonly, the power is used todisguise the true nature of anything thehero or her companions might be doing.
Example: Deetee and her buddyJayboy have to break into a certainbuilding that they know is undersurveillance. Deetee doesn't care aboutsubtlety, only About distraction, and castsan Illusion of a,.Large elephant thatcomes lumbering around a corner andlies down in front of the door. Inside theelephantine Illusion,
Jayboy is free to use his Kinetic BoltPower to smash open the door. He alsouses his K-bolts to simulate the effect theelephant's legs have when they kickagainst a target.
The main drawback to Illusion-Castingis that the hero must keep his Power'strue nature a secret from his adversaries.It must be presented as if it were anotherPower entirely.
For example, although she is anIllusion-caster, Deetee often presentsherself as a Demon-Summoner.
Even if the Power's nature is publicknowledge, the Power is still effective.The Powers of Light Emission and LightControl are innate factors of IllusionCasting. As such, the hero has the abilityto generate any intensity and frequencyof light. He can warp light, alter itsfrequency, and change its degree of
coherency. The hero can do -2CS ranklevel damage using light-based attacks.As noted earlier, the Power includes -2CS Resistance to Light-based attacks;the hero simply casts an Illusion ofsomething opaque between herself andthe offending light. The hero can simulateother visual Powers or Talents with someeffectiveness as well; the -2CS limit isused as a guide for determining how wellthe hero can do these things.
Example: Once inside the building,Deetee and Jay-boy discover a guard.Deetee casts an Illusion of Ringmasterand tries to hypnotize the guard. HerIncredible rank is reduced to merelyExcellent when she tries simulateHypnotic Control. Fortunately that isenough; the guard falls under thespurious Ringmaster's control.
Powers that are a part of or can besimulated by Illusion-Casting include:
D4/Force Field vs. EnergyD12/Resistance to EnergyDT3/Energy Detection (Light)EC14/Light ControlEC18/ShadowshapingEE5/Hard Radiation Emission (UV Light)EE6/Heat (infrared Light)EE8/Light EmissionEE12/ShadowcastingI1/Animate ImageI3/Illusory InvisibilityI4/Illusory DuplicationL9/Hypnotic ControlMCo1/ColorationM13/HallucinationsS6/BlendingS12/Energy Sheath (Light)S20/Self-VegetationS21/Shapeshifting
A drawback in characters who havethis Power is that they tend to becomephilosophical about the relationshipbetween Reality and Illusion.Companions find themselves drawn intointerminable arguments about what isreal and what is not. Illusion-Casters mayeven begin to feel that they themselvesare an Illusion being cast by someunknown being.
Optional Powers include Energy Solidifi-cation, Telescopic Vision, and Clairvoyance.
Nemesis Powers include Shadow-casting, Shadowshaping, Sonar, Radar,and closing your eyes.
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I3/Illusory Invisibility: This is not trueInvisibility but is actually a cleversimulation. The effects are nearly thesame, anyway; the hero becomeseffectively invisible to any living orartificial being.
The hero actually remains visible buthe can now surround himself with aholographic Illusion of empty space. Thisfield can be limited to the hero's body orincreased to cover a large area. Themaximum radius of this effect is thenumber of feet equal to the Power ranknumber.
For example, a Poor rank could coveran area extending four feet from thehero, a Monstrous rank could cover anarea extending 75 feet, and a Class 1000rank could cover a square mile.
Within the, Illusory Invisibility, thingsremain visible. From the point of view ofanyone within the Power's protection, itappears that the area has beensurrounded by an irregularly-shapedtransparent balloon that causes weirdtricks of light. Outside the "balloon" aviewer sees only the Illusion of emptyspace, even if the viewer has juststepped out of the invisibility field.Standing at the edge of the field canresult in a headache as the viewer's eyessee both the reality and the Illusion.
This Power can be cast at a targetpoint some distance away. The area limitis the same. The maximum range atwhich the Illusory Invisibility can appearis determined by the Power rank.
For example, a Monstrous rankpermits the hero to hide an area 150 feetwide (75 foot radius, remember?) locatedup to six miles away.
Of course, the hero has to be able tosee his intended target; otherwise hewould be unable to simulate theappearance of emptiness appropriate tothe target area. When casting this Powerat ground level, a practical limit to rangeis one area (132 feet) from the hero.
Casi!ng an Illusory Invisibility in the airor in space is easier and can be done atrank level range. Note that as this is anIllusion, it can be detected by carefulvisual examination or the simplest ofphysical tests. The "empty space" is onlywhat the hero imagines such an emptyspace to look like. As the hero tries tohide more area, the problems of realismmultiply. If the Illusory Invisibility and the
viewer move in relationship to eachother, the viewer might be able to detecta slight distortion of light at the edge ofthe field. (The player can imagine it bythinking of a clear drinking glass.)
Example: Consider an airshipsurrounded by a mechanically createdversion of Illusory Invisibility. Inside theairship, vision is unaffected. The crew canclearly see the world below. The fieldextends one foot around the airship. Fromthe ground and sides the ship is invisible.The flaw is when the field is viewed fromabove; a viewer sees the ground belowbut may realize that the surface detail isnot continuous. Rivers And roads havesudden, unexplained gaps.
Since the Invisibility is holographic innature, it can be mechanically detectedand recorded by such means asphotography, television, and themechanical senses.of artificial oeings. Itcan also be seen at any distance and willdeceive telescopes, remote cameras,and Telescopic Vision used outside thefield's effect. Sensory Link can bedeceived if that Power is used to link upwith a viewer outside the field; if it isused to link with someone inside thefield, the deception fails. Clairvoyancecannot detect Illusions at all and thuswould also penetrate the deception.
The Power cannot deceive any of theother senses or such Powers as Sonar,Radar, or Psionics.
For example, Daredevil would beunaware of such a field even beingemployed; this can lead to Problems forMatt Murdock. ("What I don't understand,DD, is how did you know theDreadnought wasn't real?")
The Power provides limited protectionagainst light-based attacks originatingoutside the field. This is equivalent to aForce Field vs. Light with a -2CS rank.
For example, a Good form of thisPower provides Poor protection againstlasers and hypnotic lights.
The main protection it offers is that if theviewer doesn't know there is something toshoot at, then he won't shoot.
The Invisibility lasts as long as thehero can maintain his concentration. Inthe case of mechanically-derivedInvisibility, it lasts for as long as theequipment functions. Judges are free todecide the difficulty of either case in anygiven circumstance.
For example, the Judge decides thatthe above-mentioned airship's InvisibilityGenerator can function for up to tenhours of continuous operation but shutsdown if it receives a single jolt ofelectricity with Amazing Intensity.
The hero can terminate his Invisibilityat any time, either purposely oraccidentally. Simple physical contact canalert a viewer to the hero's presence,whether the hero accidentally envelopshim in the field or the hero makes adistance attack at the target. A spray of acoating material will temporarily revealthe extent of the field; in the middle of anobscuring cloud, the field shows as asilhouette of clear air. Once the herorealizes that his field is visible, he cancorrect the Illusion to reflect the newaddition to his surroundings; this takes agreen Intuition FEAT. Note: the Judgeshould roll this for the hero without tellingthe player he has become visible; failuremeans the hero has either not yetrealized his predicament or has not yetgotten the Illusion properly altered.
Optional Powers include Light Controland Light Emission.
Nemesis Powers include Light Control,Radar, and Sonar.
I4/Illusory Duplication: This is aspecialized form of Illusion-Casting thatpermits the hero to generate completelyrealistic simulations of a single object,namely himself. Unlike the other IllusoryPowers, this permits the hero to seethrough these nonexistent senses andto communicate through apparentlynormal speech.
The hero can create a finite number ofexact holographic duplicates of himself.These are Illusions based on hisselfimage, which the hero had best makesure matches his actual appearance atthat moment. The accuracy of theDuplicate is determined by a ReasonFEAT made at the time the Duplicate isgenerated. A green Reason FEAT meansthe Illusory Duplicates are somehowdifferent from the hero; they have thewrong outfit on, are too muscular orhandsome, and so on. A yellow or redReason FEAT produces a perfect copy.The maximum number of simultaneousDuplicates the hero can create is equalto his Power rank number. AlthoughDuplicates are frequently used to
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LIFE CONTROL
surround the hero and act as decoys, theDuplicates can also function severalareas or miles away from the hero. Themaximum range at which the hero caneither send or create a Duplicate isdetermined by his Power rank; specificlevels are shown on column B.
Example: Myriad has an Incrediblerank. This enables him to create up to 40simultaneously existing Duplicates thatcan form or travel as far as two milesaway from his location.
The Duplicates are intangibleholographs and are incapable of doingany actual physical activity. They areprimarily used as decoys, messengers,spies, and simulated ghosts. TheDuplicates can form in any locationwithin the hero's range, regardless ofwhether the hero can see that location ornot. As an aspect of this Power, the heroautomatically possesses a combinationof Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, andSpeechthrowing that permits him to see,hear, and speak through his remoteDuplicates.
For example, Myriad is at the scene ofa cave-in. The rescue crew need to knowwhere any survivors are located. Myriadcreates several Duplicates and sendsthem off into the debris. Since these areenergy, the Duplicates can passeffortlessly through the rock. Myriad seeswhat the Duplicates "see." There is nolight in the collapsed area but Myriad'sDuplicates each carry an illusion of aflashlight that functions as well, if notbetter, than a real one. Finally two of theDuplicates find survivors., The first groupof survivors are only lost; the Duplicateleads them through the darkness tosafety. The second group is trappedbehind fallen rock. They are startledwhen the Duplicate passes through therock into their area but Myriad speaksthrough his Duplicate and appraisesthem of the situation. The Duplicateremains with them until the rescuersfinally reach them.
When creating the hero, the player hasthe option of assigning some or all of thehero's other Powers to the Duplicates.The hero can only create a single suchPowerful Duplicate at any one time. Sincethis Duplicate now has a greater effect onreality, it gains some reality as well. SuchDuplicates can be affected and evendestroyed by such attacks as Light
Emission, Light Generation, PlasmaGeneration, Plasma Control,Shadowcasting, and any of the Magicsand Power Controls. The Duplicate has a"Health" equal to this Power's ranknumber. Any damage to the Duplicate issubtracted from this number. At zero theDuplicate suddenly vanishes. In addition,any damage done to the Duplicate is alsosuffered by the hero, who temporarilyloses a number of points equal to hisPower rank number. Such points areregained just like Health points.
All Duplicates can be affected by thePowers of Light Control andShadowcasting. Light Control canoverpower, distort, and even destroy anyDuplicate. It can be use to seize controlof a Duplicate away from the hero; theeffect is analogous to someone usingMind Control/ Puppetry on the hero's ownbody. Shadowcasting can surround theDuplicate in darkness and prevent thehero's Clairvoyance from operating. If theShadowcasting has a greater rank, thatPower can be used to destroy aDuplicate. Note: when a Duplicate ispassing through solids, its "eyes" registertotal darkness. If the hero is unaware thatShadowcasting is being used against hisDuplicates, then he will assume thecontinued darkness is the result of theDuplicate remaining within a solid massand consequently will make no attempt toresist this clandestine attack.
As stated earlier, all Duplicates are anillusionary manifestation of the hero'sself-image. They need not be a single,static design but can change with thehero's whim. Generally, all Duplicates ata given moment will have the sameshape. However, by means of a redReason FEAT, the hero can createsimultaneous Duplicates who havedifferent appearances. All suchdifferences are still based on the hero'sown form. A red FEAT is needed for eachdifferent type of Duplicate.
Example: Myriad maintains a secretidentity as a physicist at a nuclear plant inGeorgia. One day the plant is attacked bysupervillains. Myriad must take action buthis civilian identity must remain at hisemergency post. Myriad forms a numberof Duplicates. Most resemble his superheroic self but Myriad alters one to appearas his civilian self. The extra form requiresadditional concentration on Myriad's part
and a red FEAT. The player blows it onthe first roll (a 23), second roll (03), thirdroll (24), but finally makes it on the fourthroll (00). Myriad castigates himself on theadditional 24 seconds it took him togenerate the lab coat and glasses.
While Duplicates are normally createdas independent beings, the Power canalso be cast around the hero's own bodyto immediately alter the hero's ownappearance. This is usually used tomake quick disguises and costumechanges. If the hero so chooses, hisentire super hero appearance andcostume can be nothing more than sucha Illusion wrapped around the hero'snormal civilian self. This would definitelyprevent anyone from finding yourcostume stashed in the back of thecloset. In the previous example, Myriadhad not thought to bring his costume towork and had to form one of hisDuplicates around himself. The drawbackis that if the hero loses concentration,consciousness, or Power, he also loseshis costume. (The time Myriad wasskinnydipping when a crisis struckresulted in major embarrassment for himand some unfortunate media exposure.)
Nemesis Powers include Light Controland Shadowcasting.
Life Control Powers
L1/Biophysical Control: The hero has
the ability to consciously alter thephysiology of a target. This isaccomplished by sheer force of will anddoes not require any physical action onthe hero's part, aside from touching thetarget. The Power can be used at adistance but each 10 feet separating thehero from the target reduces his effectivePower by -1CS. The Power is normallyconcentrated on a single target, but thehero can affect as many targets as hedesires. Each additional target alsodecreases the rank -1CS.
For example, trying to affect twotargets at a distance of 10 feet drops thehero's rank -4CS (-2CS per target).
The result of any form of this Power ispermanent. (What's the point of healingsomebody if he's just going to drop deadlater, right?) The actual ongoing effectscontinue for as long as the herocontinues to use his Power. Once this is
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done, the target's natural healing abilitiesand rates revert to normal. There areseven forms of Biophysical Control, eachwith its own set of effects. The first fourforms are benevolent, the last three aremaievolent. Heroes who use themalevolent forms against sentient beingsrisk Karma and Popularity loss. Whenthe hero is created, the player mustchoose one of these forms. He canselect one or let the dice decide for him.
Die Roll Form
01-2425-4445-4849-6869-7677-9293-00
HealingRegenerationRevivalDamage TransferralDecayDisruptionAging
Healing—The hero can cure the damagecaused by wounds, trauma, toxins', anddisease. The hero can increase thetarget's Health by'an amount equal to thePower rank level. This is the maximumbenefit the hero can give per day to onespecific person. The color of the requiredFEAT is determined by the nature andseverity of the damage. Green FEATshandle broken bones, non-terminaldisease, and simple wounds. YellowFEATs handle physical trauma, woundsto organs, non-fatal poisoning, andterminal diseases. Red FEATs handlemortal wounds, coronary attacks,strokes, toxic poisoning, and massivephysical trauma. The Power seals thebody and returns any still-living tissues tohealth. It cannot replace lost tissue.Regeneration—The hero has the abilityto heal (as above) and can recreate largeareas of lost tissue, such as severedlimbs or destroyed organs. Limbs areregrown by a green FEAT, organs by ayellow FEAT, and brain and neuraltissues by a red FEAT.Revival—The hero can actually bring thedead back to life. The Power ranknumber is the maximum number of daysthe target can have been deceased andstill be revived. The condition of thecorpse determines the color of therequired FEAT. An intact, unembalmed,undecayed corpse is revived on a greenFEAT. A decayed but intact corpse needsa yellow FEAT. A red FEAT is required for
partial or embalmed remains.For example, a Good rank can revive a
1 0-day-old, slightly moldy body if theplayer rolls a 75 or better.
The Power begins by healing andregenerating any damage to the body,especially the cause of death. Once thebody is habitable again, the Powerautomatically summons the deceasedspirit back and reconnects it with thebody. If the spirit was already reincar-nated into another body, the spirit splitsinto identical halves. One remains withthe new body while the other half returnshome. If the spirit is trapped, the herocan make an attempt to free him basedon the Power rank of whatever is holdingthe spirit. Until the spirit returns, the bodyremains in a comatose state.Damage Transferral—The hero can healanother by apparently taking thatdamage from the victim and moving itinto the hero. The Power first heals thetarget; the manner is the same as forHealing (above). Simultaneously, thehero's body reshapes itself into aduplication of the damage being healed.Once the target is healed, the hero'sSelf-Healing abilities (same rank) thencures this ersatz damage. A hero cannotheal another person until he has returnedto normal.Decay—The hero can accelerate thecellular collapse of body tissue. ThePower can cause Power rank damageper turn. The target becomes leprous,dies, and quickly crumbles to dust if thePower is used long enough.Disruption—The Power can upset theSmooth functioning of the physiology.The target suffers Power rank losses tohis Health as he suffers anything fromminor discomfort (nausea, chills) to fataltrauma (coronary attack).Aging—The Power can accelerate or re-verse the aging process. The normal rateis multiplied by the Power rank number.For example, a Good rank can makeaging occur at tenfold rate or go inreverse at an equal rate. A green FEATaccelerates aging. A yellow FEAT stopsit. A red FEAT reverses it. As the victim'sage changes, physiology and mentalcapacities change as well. While thePower can function as a Fountain ofYouth, it can also be used to kill throughold age or regression to protoplasm. Atarget can be protected from unwanted
Biophysical Control by such Powers asForce Field Generation and TrueInvulnerability.
Optional Powers include another io Mof this Power.
The Nemesis is either Immortality orSerial Immortality.
L2/Bio-Varnpirism: The character is asuper-carnivore able to increase hisStrength, Endurance, Psyche, and Powerranks by consuming living biologicalmaterials. The most common examples ofBio-Vampires are the traditional blood-suckers like Dracula. Although all thetraditional vampires were destroyed onEarth in the Marvel Universe, this doesnot prevent the player or Judge fromcreating a new race of BioVampires ableto withstand the spells that finallydestroyed Dracula. As a new type of Bio-Vampire, your character need not followthe traditional abilities and limitationsassociated with the old Vampires. It's anew world and a new Vampire.
Bio-Vampires have a Bonus Power ofMind Control/Puppetry that renders theirvictims unable to physically struggleagainst the Bio-Vampire. However, thevictim's Psyche remains uncontrolled; thevictim continues to try to resist the Bio-Vampire's attack.
The Bio-Vampire must make a PowerFEAT to initiate the attack. The victim'sPsyche determines the difficulty of theFEAT. The first successful FEAT meansthe victim is immobilized and theBioVampire can begin to feed. Eachsuccessful FEAT enables the Bio-Vampire to drain Health points from thevictim. The amount drained is equal tothe Power rank number. This isconverted into energy that is dividedequally among the ranks for Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and any Powers thevampire has except this one. NoVampiric Power can ever increase itsown rank.
The Bio-Vampire must make a FEATeach turn he continues to feed. He canvoluntarily stop feeding at any point bymaking a Psyche FEAT roll of any coloexcept red. A red FEAT means the Bio.Vampire's hunger is beyond his control.He has entered a feeding frenzy that onlystops when the victim is drained or theBio-Vampire has been repulsed. If theBio-Vampire fails a FEAT at any time in
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the feeding process, he is immediatelyrepulsed from the victim and can neverresume that attack. That victim gainsinstant immunity to any future vampiricattack by that particular Bio-Vampire.
Why do Bio-Vampires do it? Becausethey lose energy at an accelerated rate.Their rank numbers for Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and any Powersexcept Bio-Vampirism drop one point perhour. The Bio-Vampire must feed in orderto maintain his life.
Even if the Bio-Vampire is deprived ofvictims, he never actually starves todeath. When all his affected ranks dropto Shift 0, the Bio-Vampire drops into adeathlike trance. His vampirismcontinues to function, although he can nolonger actively seek out new biomaterialsto consume. If such are made availableto the body, the Power will immediatelybegin to return the Bio-Vampire to life.
When the player creates theBioVampire, he must choose and playaweakness. The Bio-Vampire's Powerrank can be increased +1CS for eachadditional weakness the Bio-Vampirepossesses, up to a maximum of fourweaknesses in all.
Bio-Vampirism is communicable. Asentient victim who was,completelydrained as a result of a feeding frenzymust make a Psyche FEAT roll. A redresult means the victim has arisen as anew, Feeble-ranked Bio-Vampire.
L3/Body Transformation-Others: Thehero can alter the nature of elements andcompounds within a living target's body.Innate safe-guards in the Power maintainthe target's lifeforce for as long as thetarget is in the altered state. Such statesare not necessarily mobile, but if theyare, they may require the target to movein new ways.
While in a solid altered state, the targetretains his overall normal appearance. Ifliquid or gaseous, he can assume anyshape but can still automatically revert tohis original shape when the Power'seffects end. When transforming a target,the hero normally changes the entirebody unless the player states beforehandwhich specific section he is changing.The safeguards still take effect, but thetarget loses sensation in the affectedareas. Transformations can take any ofthree basic forms:
• Chemical: The target's chemical make-
up is changed to other chemicals.• Physiological: The target's basic life
functions are changed. The target maybe changed to animal, plant, or adifferent chemical basis.
• Energy: The solid target is co nvertedto a coherent energy field.
When creating the hero, the playerdecides the form of change in which thehero specializes. If random generationprovides this Power again, the player canselect another form or add +1CS to thefirst form chosen. Since this can beconsidered an attack, the target canchoose to resist; he can also foregoresistance if he so desires. Power rankdetermines the Intensity of the effects onthe target, the range at which the effectscan occur, and the duration of theeffects. Normally the Power is used on asingle target. Each additional targetreduces the effects by -1CS.
L4/Emotion Control: The hero can altera target's emotional state and resultingactivity by forcing him to feel a particularemotion. The hero can only instill oneemotion at a time. However, he canselect any emotion he desires. Whencreating the hero, the player can raisethe rank +2CS by limiting the hero to aspecific emotion.
For example, the Purple Manbroadcasts only the emotion of loyalty.
Range and duration are determined bythe Power rank. The Power affectseveryone within its range. This Power isan excellent choice when the hero isfacing adversaries more numerous andpowerful than he is. If an opponent has aPower that is triggered by a specificmindset, such as the way Bruce Bannerused to turn into the Hulk when he wasangered, this Power can be used eitherto prevent that Power from taking hold orto trigger it prematurely.
L5/Exorcism: The hero can release abeing from any external dominationimposed by a third party. Such controlsinclude Possession, Mental Domination,Serial Immortality, and Magic. If there's acontrol, this Power can break it. ThisPower rank is compared to that of thePower controlling the subject. A TypicalIntensity FEAT can sever a lower ranking
control Power. A Remarkable IntensityFEAT severs a controlling Power of equalrank, and an Amazing Intensity FEATsevers one of one or more ranks higher.Upon severing the being's control overthe subject, that being is immediatelyteleported to its home dimension.
This Power commonly appears as aspell used by sorcerers and holy men.
The hero must be within 10' of thesubject in order to perform the Exorcism.
The hero can use this Power to resistthe initial attempt by another to controlhim, but if this attempt fails (as per theFEATs listed above), he cannot Exorcisehimself later.
L6/Force Field vs. Hostiles: The heroemits a psionic aura that repels anyhostile lifeforms. The Powerautomatically probes the minds ofanyone in the area and analyzes theirintentions toward the hero. Anythingharmful is repulsed, as if a Power rankmaterial strength wall had risen betweenthem. Neutral or friendly life is notaffected by this field. Okay, I hear youasking: "What if somebody starts outfriendly, but turns hostile after he's insidethe field?" The answer is, he's catapultedharmlessly out of the field.
Rank determines the size and materialstrength of the field. Appropriate rangesare shown on column A of the RangeTable. The field can be breached byseveral means. Brute force alwaysworks. Mental Invisibility allows someoneto bypass the field's sorting ability. Thefield is ineffective against cybernetic life.
The field protects the hero from meleeweapons or slugfest, but not fromprojected or missile weapons.
L7/Forced Reincarnation: The hero cancapture disembodied spirits and mergethem into new bodies. The spirits can bethe newly-dead, ghosts, or Free Spirits.The bodies. can be anythingnewborninfants, clones, androids, robots,animals, or plants. Because of thePower's interference, the reincarnatedperson retains his full memories andMental Powers. The spirit is permanentlybonded to the new body for as long asthat body lives, unless the bond isdeliberately broken by the spirit (a redPsyche FEAT) or by a hero withExorcism Power (L5).
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The hero can indefinitely hold the spiritin stasis (one Typical Intensity FEAT perday should be sufficient) while seeking asuitable body into which he cantransplant the soul. If the hero fails aFEAT, he has 10 turns in which toimplant the spirit or lose it forever.
The hero cannot transplant the spiritinto a living, intelligent being-with twonotable exceptions. As noted earlier,spirits can be placed within newborninfants. The hero can also accept thespirit into himself; the result is the heronow has a complete second person livingin his head. The player now has to redohis character sheet to reflect thesecondary set of characteristics forReason, Intuition, and Psyche.
When a character is reincarnated intoa body, he retains his abilities of Reason,Intuition, and Psyche, and any MentalTalents and Powers. Physical abilities,secondary characteristics, PhysicalPowers and Talents, and Contacts are alllost. Contacts can be quickly regained byconvincing the Contacts of who he reallyis (a Remarkable Intensity FEAT).
Karma awards should depend on howwell the hero has handled the spiritualtransplant. Just dumping the spirit intothe first available body can actually costKarma, while going to extraordinarylengths to find the perfect situationentitles the hero to a hefty bonus.
L8/Grafting: This is the single mostlikely candidate for raw abuse andgrossing out your fellow players. ThisPower is strictly Mad Scientist material.(it does have its good side, too, though.)
The hero can perform psionicallyaugmented surgery on a subject. Thehero can operate on, dissect, rearrange,and perform transplants without the needfor normal medical -techniques to ensuresuccess. No matter how crude theconditions in which the operation isperformed or how messy it proves to be,the subject's lifeforce is preserved. Thereis no major blood loss nor is there anyneed for extensive recuperation. ThisPower is strongly related to the Healingforms of Bio-Physical control and can beused to cure others of physical damage.Unfortunately, the Power lends itself toabuse. Those possessing this Powertend more toward Doctor Frankensteinthan Doctor Schweitzer. Such characters
might see people as machines to berearranged at their whim. This Powerpermits the character to perform actsbeyond 20thcentury medical science (likebrain transplants). If two or more brainsare combined, the resulting charactershows traits of both.
The Power rank determines thesuccess of the operation. A green FEATensures success of a routine operation,like simple surgery (anything that mightbe done at a clinic). A yellow FEAT isrequired for more elaborate worktransplants, grafting, anything requiring alarge hospital. Outright medicallyimpossible acts such as brain transplantsand body part rearrangement (afterwhich all the parts still work-hands wherefeet should be, and that kind of thing)require a red FEAT.
Success means the result is alive; itmay not be pretty, but it's breathing.
A hero with this Power will use it toheal. A villain will use it to fill his lair witha variety of ex-human nightmares.
L9/Hypnotic Control: This is a Talent inthe Advanced Set. The hero candominate a target's behavior and actionsby implanting commands, not by directpsionic control. The Hypnotic commandmay pertain to current conditions or liedormant until triggered by futureconditions (post-hypnotic suggestion).
Hypnotic controls come in two forms:
• Commands alter current behavior."You are getting sleepy."
• Suggestions alter future behavior."You hate orange, rocky skin and mustdestroy anything with it."
Normal hypnosis cannot make aperson perform any action that goesagainst his sense of ethics. However, thePower of Hypnotic Control can overridethe target's innate sense of morality bymeans of a red FEAT. Less conflictingcommands involve only a green FEAT.Hypnotic Control can be established byany one of a number of means. Theseinclude specific gestures, words, songs,or devices. When creating the hero, thePlayer determines which method thehero uses.
The Intensity and duration of aHypnotic Control are determined by thePower rank. In the case of post-hypnotic
Suggestions, duration does not includethe time prior to activation of thesuggestion, but only the time thesuggestion is actually in force.
L10/Mind Control: The hero has theability to directly control a target's mind -through psionic Powers. The herocompletely overrides the will and perhapseven the conscious mind of the target.There are four forms of Mind Control:
• Puppetry—the target mind retainsawareness but cannot control thebody.
• Possession—the target mind losesboth control and consciousness.
• Negation—the target mind iscompletely turned off; Mental Probesshow that no mind exists in the target'sbody.
• Magnification—The target mind isactually enhanced. The rank of thetarget's Reason, Intuition, and/orPsyche can be temporarily increased,up to the hero's Power rank.
The Power rank determines theIntensity of the hero's control, the rangeat which he can establish and maintainthat control, and the duration of the -control.
L11/Mind Transferral: The hero has theability to switch minds from one body toanother. The hero's own mind and bodyneed not be included in any switchingthat occurs. The Power operates muchlike Mental Duplication, in that the heroreshapes the brains of his targets toconform to those he is switching. Ineffect, the target believes he is theswitched mind and thus effectively is thatnew person. The accuracy of suchtransfers is 100%. Because of the natureof this Power, the hero can also transferone mind into several peoplesimultaneously, with each believing he isthe real person. Transferral switchesmental abilities, Talents, and mentalPowers. Physical Powers are nottransferred, nor are physical abilities,Popularity, Resources, or Contacts. ThePower rank determines the range atwhich the Power can initially function andthe duration of its effects. Ranges areshown on column A of the Range Table.Duration is given for a single mind-to-
38
mind transfer. If the hero attempts totransfer one mind to multiple bodies, theduration decreases -2CS for eachadditional body.
L12/Neural Manipulation: The hero canalter a target's neural activity. Bychanging nerve messages within thetarget's body, the hero can cause avariety of effects.
• Disruption: The target's body loses allsensations; it falls to the ground, alimp, aumb mass of flesh.
• Paralysis: The target body becomescz):npletely rigid. No chemical cancounteract the paralysis while thePower is in effect.
• Seizure: The target's muscles spasmuncontrollably for as long as the Poweris in effect.
• Exaggeration: Nerve signals areactually amplified, causing the target tooveract when attempting anymovement.
Normally, a hero can select any ofthese effects. When creating the hero,the player can choose to specialize inone effect for a benefit of +2CS. Note:This Power only affects the voluntarymuscles; it does not affect the autonomicnervous system which controls the heart,lungs, and other automatic bodilyfunctions. The range and duration of thisPower are determined by its rank.Suitable distances are shown on columnA of the Range Table. The Powernormally affects only a single person;affecting more causes a decrease induration of -1CS per additional person.The target's mind and senses areunaffected by the Power; the victimknows full well what is happening (even ifhe doesn't know why it's happening tohim). The Power can reach across thedimensional barriers if it is combined withsome way of breaching the dimensions.It can function normally if both hero andtarget are within another -dimension.
L13/Plague Carrier: The hero cancontain within his body and release atwill a variety of disease-causingmicroorganisms (bacteria, germs,viruses). The hero is immune to anydisease (otherwise he'd have died assoon as he gained this dubious Power)
but he can instantly infect others at willwith diseases of his choosing. Symptomsappear 1-10 turns later. Curiously, victimsare not themselves contagious to others.Obviously the Power alters the geneticsof the diseasecausing organisms andweakens them so that they can onlysurvive within the hero and the first newbody into which they are introduced.Upon the death of the victim or the endof the Power's duration, all the microbesdie as well.
This Power does have a beneficialside. Because of the hero's special abilityto control microbas, he can actually cureothers of disease. By means of a redFEAT, the hero can draw out of thetarget's body every last microbe of aparticular type. Note: This inly removesthe cause of damage. It does not removethe effects of the disease.
Example: Black Plague has afondness for red-haired children, andcures a copper-haired tyke of smallpox.While the child will live, he still has thepockmarks.
A character with this Power has to gaindiseases, much as others would gainweapons, as he progresses. Newcharacters begin with diseases commonto everyday life, like chicken pox,mumps, influenza, and such. Thecharacter must actively seek out sourcesof new diseases in order to add them tohis inner armory. This is done byconsuming live cultures ("I don't get it!Why would anyone drink a vial ofsmallpox culture?") or by curing adiseased person in the manner explainedearlier. This latter act will gain even thevilest villain a small flock of devotedpeople, all cured by him.
The hero can use his Power againstsingle targets. Multiple targets decreasehis Power rank by -1CS per ad ' ditionalperson. Rank determines the Intensity ofthe infection and duration of thesymptoms.
This Power can be negated or evendestroyed by Ll/Biophysical Control ormassive injections of anti-microbialdrugs. The hero is then reduced to anormal being.
The Power's ability to infect others canbe negated by normal medical means orPowers like Self-Healing, InducedHealing, True Invulnerability, and thisPower itself.
L14/Plant Control: The hero can impartlimited movement and self-awareness tonormally unintelligent plants. The plantsobey simple commands, and possessrudimentary communication and senses.The hero can accelerate the plants'growth somewhat, but cannot make itexceed normal limits on size or shape.
Rank determines the number of plantsaffected and the duration of the control.Exceeding the number of controlledplants decreases the duration -1CS peradditional 10%. Controlled plants havetheir own characteristics and ranks thatare increased to the hero's Power rank,where applicable.
L15/Plant Growth: The hero has theability to make plants grow nearlyinstantaneously, and far larger thannormal. The Power can force a seed tosprout immediately and gives it the abilityto thrive, even in the absence of normalnutrients (light, soil, and water).
The hero can affect existing plants andseeds or use seeds and sprouts carriedwith him. In the latter case, the playermust make a list of the types of seedsthe hero carries oust as a weaponsspecialist needs a list of those with whichhe is proficient).
This Power does not change the naturalabilities of the affected plants; it onlyenhances them up to the Power's rank.
This Power requires the player todevelop some rudimentary knowledge ofbotany, since the more the player knowsabout plants, the more stunts the herocan perform. Typical plants used with thisPower are:
• Poison ivy: rash incapacitates foes• Kudzu: vines entangle targets• Briar: forms impassable barriers• Goldenrod: hayfever city• Oak: instant support for damaged
buildings• Venus flytrap: Catch and hold foes
Power rank determines the speed ofplant growth and the rank of the affectedplant's abilities. Growing a plant innormal conditions (adequate light, soil,and water) requires a TypicalIntensity.FEAT. Growing plants in lessthan adequate conditions (insufficientlight, soil, or water; typical urbanconditions) requires a Remarkable
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Intensity FEAT. Growing plants in openlyhostile conditions (no light, soil, or water)requires an Unearthly Intensity FEAT.Because their metabolism is acceleratedby this Power, the plants quickly die. Thelifespan is 1/8 normal. As a rule ofthumb, the player can use theseguidelines for normal and acceleratedlifespans:
House plants-6 months/2 daysShrubbery-5 years/3 weeks Trees-1 00-1000 years/1 -10 years
The point of this is that your herodoesn't have to worry about filling the citywith giant plants left over from oldbattles. He might still be in trouble withthe Park Department, though
L16/Sense Alteration: The hero candeliberately change the manner in whic atarget either receives sensory stimuliprocesses it within the brain. Thesimplest form negates one or more of thesenses, producing instant blindness,deafness, numbness, and so on. Morecomplex is the ability to modify thesenses. The hero can amplify someelements and negate others. Forexample, the hero might make a targetliterall see red (and only red).
The most complex form is Hallu-cinations. By a Monstrous Intensity FEAT,the hero can transfer sensory informaticto others, making everyone share a corrmon set of perceptions. These may bethe hero's, or someone else's.
Sensory negation takes a TypicalIntensity FEAT; sensory alteration takes aRemarkable Intensity FEAT.
The Power rank determines the rangeand duration of the effects.
L17/Shapechange-Others: The hero hasthe ability to change the shapes of otherliving beings. The result can take anyshape and appearance the hero wishes:animal, vegetable, mineral. The target'sbasic physiology remains unchangeddespite the apparent differences betweenthe original and new forms.
When Shapechanging a target, thehero must make sure that the new formstill allows basic life functions to continue(especially breathing!). If not, using thePower constitutes a Kill result and all thtbad Karma entailed therein.
When creating the hero, the player ca.opt to exchange one of his randomly
generated Powers for L2/BodyTransformation-Others. In this case thehero really can change a living target intanything he wants (with no restrictions).
L18/Sleep-Induced: This is a nice,simple, straight-forward Power that ishardly ever used in any comic becauseit's not terribly dramatic. Nor is it exactlycricket. The hero has the ability to putany target into a deep sleep, from whichhe cannot awake while the Power is ineffect. During this induced sleep, thetarget is completely helpless (see what Imean about not being cricket?). On theother hand, when you're facing 325battle-crazed Skrulls, this Power can bereally handy.
The Power rank determines the rangeand duration of the Power. Relevantdistances are shown on column A of theRange Table. It affects everyone withinrange. Sleep persists for 1 -10 hours afterthe Power's duration. During that time,the victim can be awakened by anyone,but he'll wake up naturally in any case.
L19/Spirit Storage: The hero cancapture and indefinitely hold withinhimself any number of disembodiedspirits. Such spirits find themselves withina pocket dimension of the hero's creation;while within it, they retain a semblance totheir original forms. This pocketdimension can have any appearance.The one within Adam Warlock's Soulgemwas a rather pleasant park.
The hero can freely communicate withany spirits held within. He is immune toany attempts they might make topossess his body. A spirit can escape ona red Psyche FEAT, provided its Psycherank is higher than the Power rank.
This Power can be used in conjunctionwith L6/Forced Reincarnation to find newhomes for vagrant spirits. This Power canbe mechanically simulated to provide a"holding tank" for disruptive spirits likepoltergeists or particularly malevolent FreeSpirits. In this case, the Power lasts aslong as the device is supplied with energy.
Capturing a spirit requires a FEAT.Compare the Power rank with thePsyche of the intended target. If thePower rank is higher, a green FEAT willdo. Equal ranks require a yellow FEAT. APsyche rank higher than the Power rankmeans the hero must make a red FEAT.
L20/Summoning: The hero cansummon and control extra-dimensional,corPoreal beings. Such beings arecommonly called "demons" but may beof any nature or disposition.
The Power enables the hero tosumMon any known extra-dimensionalbeing, Provided his Power rank is higherthan the being's Psyche rank, on a greenFEAT. Equal ranks require a yellowFEAT. Trust me, you don't want tosummon beings more powerful than you(they might answer), but if you do itanyway, you need a red FEAT. Thesummoned being is instantly teleportedfrom its home dimension to a spotchosen by the hero. Once summoned,the being must perform a single taskordered by the hero. being mustimmediately set about fulfilling the order.If successful, he can immediately departfor his home dimension.
Players should refer to MHAC9,Realms of Magic, by Kim Eastland for adetailed list of beings this Power cansummon. Norinallv, heroes will onlysummon magical creatures like demonsand elementals. If a hero feels particularlyconfident, though, he might be able to callmagical characters like Clea andD'Spayre. Heroes can never summonentities, although one might pretend toanswer a summoning on a lark.
This Power summons one being at atime. Each additional being decreasesthe Power's rank by -1CS.
Remember that most magical beingsare intelligent and that many are hostileto humans. The being a hero summonstoday might hold a grudge against himfor eons to come.
L21/Undead Control: The hero candominate the wills and actions ofpreviously living, still-corporeal beings.Such beings are often called "zombies"or "zuvembies" and are only semi-intelligent. Controlling them requires agreen FEAT. Controlling fully intelligent,more powerful undead like mummies orvampires requires a red FEAT.
Once control is established, the herocan order the undead to perform any taskhe desires, so long as it is within theirability. Control ceases when the task isaccomplished, but can be reinstated atthat time. This Power cannot affect-anything alive. A cured vampire, for
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MAGICAL
example, would ignore the Power.This Power is commonly linked to
MC13/Zombie Animation (the Power thatactually creates undead). When creatingthe hero, the player can exchangeanother Power for MC13.
Intelligent undead may hold a grudgeagainst the hero and later try to destroyhim. Worse, they might attempt to makethe hero into one of themselves.
Exorcism, Magic Negation, or PowerNegation can all destroy the hero'scontrol over his minions.
Magical Powers
The Powers referred to by the word
"Magic" cannot be easily categorized inthe other Power classes. It is, as JeffGrubb so quaintly put it in the Players'Book of the Marvel Super HeroesAdvanced Set, "a can of worms that,once opened, may be difficult to contain."The subject of Magic in the MarvelUniverse is dealt with at length by KimEastland's book, Realms of Magic(MHAC9). However, the book you'rereading couldn't be called The UltimatePowers Book if it simply shunted you offto Mr. Eastland's book now, could it?
This section is for those players andJudges who are not following following astrict interpretation of the aforementionedtome or are simply interested in forging aMagic system that is unique to theircampaign. It can be treated as a supple-ment to, explanation of, or replacementfor your current magic system.
If a Magic Power appears at any timeduring the character generation process,the player should convert the entirecharacter to a Mage and convert all thePowers into their Magical equivalents. Ifthe character was a High Tech type orpossessed a physical type that wasobviously technological in nature, theseshould be altered to reflect a Magicalbackground for the character.
For example, Robots might be nowconsidered to be clockwork automatonsor Galatea-like animated statues.
The research for this book revealedthat those Powers most often referred toas Magic had two basic components inthe way they operated. I call thesecomponents Mechanism and Effect.
Mechanism is the manner in which the,
hero manifests his Magical Power. Thereare ten basic types of Mechanisms with aninfinite number of further variations. Thesefurther variations are the actual "spells"that produce a specific Power/ Effect.When the Player rolls his first MagicalPower, he must select a Mechanism. Hecan,choose one of those listed below or letpure chance decide. Upon gaining furtherMagical Powers, the player can stay withthat first Mechanism or have another go atrandom determination.
Die Roll
01-08
09-2021-2829-4041-5253-6061-6869-7677-8485-00
Mechanism
Word
ChantSongGestureAlchemyTalismanFamiliarNecromancySummoningRitual
Word—The hero needs to speak asingle, specific word in order to manifesthis Power. Subtle variations inpronunciation change the range,direction, and Intensity of the Effect. Thehigher the Effect's rank, the harder therequired Word is to pronounce properly.Chant—The hero needs to recite a seriesof words to manifest his Power. TheChant can be any length and form.Generally, the rank of the Effectdetermines the length of the Chant. TheChant lasts one turn for each ten pointsof the Power rank number. For example,a Chant of Incredible effect takes 4 turns.Song—The hero need to sing or play aspecific song, tune, or rhythm to bringabout the desired Effect. The name is amisnomer, since the nature of the Songcan be as diverse as words-and-music, ahummed tune, a series of notes on aninstrument, or an exotic drumbeat. TheSong lasts one turn for each ten points ofthe Power rank number. For example, aSong of Shift X Effect takes 15 turns tobe properly performed.Gesture—The hero must perform aspecific physical action to bring about thedesired Effect. The nature andcomplexity of Magic Gestures varies.They can be hand and arm movements,facial expressions, acrobatics, dance
steps, and or anything else the playercan think of. The Effect determines thecomplexity and performance time of theGesture—To properly perform a Gesturetakes one turn per twenty points of theEffect's Power rank number. Forexample, a Monstrous Effect takes fourturns to properly execute.Alchemy—The hero can achieve aspecific Effect by following a recipe thatcombines arcane or even commonplacesubstances in a special procedure. Theresulting substance possesses enoughPower to attempt the desired Effect. Thelength of preparation time and the cost ofthe ingredients increases with the rank ofthe Effect. Prep time is one turn per eachten points of the Power rank number.The ingredients cost an amount ofResource points equal to 10% of theEffect's rank. For example, an Effect ofShift Y rank would require materials ofExcellent cost stirred together for 20turns.Talisman—The Mage must possess aspecific item in order to achieve hisdesired Effect. This can be a specifictype of item for each type of spell, suchas a marble sphere to communicate withspirits or a handful of eagle feathers toachieve flight. Common talismans have acost of one Resource point for each pointof the Effect's rank number. For example,a common talisman for a RemarkableEffect would cost 30 points. Much rarer isthe Magical Talisman, a unique item thatpossesses its own Power or focuses theMage's own Power. Magic Talismans aregeneral purpose devices that can servethe Mage's every need, regardless of thetype of Effect desired. An example of thisis Dr. Strange's amulet, the Eye ofAgamotto. Magic Talismans can be ofany nature, whether jewelry, implements,clothing, or your grandfather's skull.Familiar—The Mage possesses (or ispossessed by) a special lifeform whoserves as an amplifier, conduit, andtransmitting device for the Mage's Power.The hero must be in contact with theFamiliar to achieve any type of Effectaside from communication. The Familiarcan be any species, but generally is anon-sentient being of a lower order of lifethan the Mage's physical form. TheFamiliar's speciers is usually from thesame world or dimension as the Mage.Of course, if the Mage is of a higher
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order than humans, he might have ahuman as a Familiar. The relationshipbetween Mage and Familiar bonds themtogether so well that they canTelepathically communicate with eachother. Common examples of Familiarsinclude felines and owls.Necromancy—The Mage can achieve anEffect by using the remnants of lifeforcecontained in once-living biologicalmaterials. Unfortunately for everybodyconcerned, the most potent source ofthis lifeforce is a living organism whichthe Necromancer must slay in order tohave the benefit of its lifeforce.Necromancy is the nastiest form ofMagic there is. If the player rolls thisform, he has three options. One,continue creating the character and thengive him to the Judge for use as an NPCvillain. Two, say the magic word "Drat!,"discard this Mechanism, and roll again.Three, go with this Mechanism andassume that your Mage is an"enlightened" Necromancer who onlyuses already deceased materials and isa valiant foe of nasty, evil,"unenlightened" Necromancers who stilldo things the old fashioned way. Higherranked Effects require harder to acquirebody bits. The Judge will have to decidehis own standards for this. For example,a dead mouse is required for a FeebleEffect while 400-year-old bones ofsomebody named Fredrikson might berequired for a Shift-X Effect.Summoning—The Mage can summonsupernatural beings and compel/ bribe/beg them to go do the actual work thatproduces the Effect. Such beings includeSpirits, Angels, Demons, and any otherMagical Beings who might exist in theJudge's campaign. Generally speaking,each Summoner specializes in aparticular type of Magical creature. TheSummoner can draw on the services ofother types but this is an unlikely eventbrought about by special circumstances.For example, Illyana Rasputin cansummon a variety of Demons but hasnever tried to summon a Ghost.
The overall Power rank of the being tobe summoned is dictated by the rank ofthe desired Effect. (If the being can't dothe job then why summon it in the firstplace?) The Mage runs into danger as heattempts to summon more Powerfulbeings, many of whom might resent the
Mage for dragging them away from theirhome dimension and sending them offon some ridiculous mission. Should theMage loses control of the situation,things might get nasty, messy, andprobably fatal.Ritual—This is a combination of any of thepreceding nine Mechanisms into acompound Mechanism. The player rollsthe dice to determine how many Mech-anisms are to be combined into the Ritual.
Die Roll
01-33
34-6768-00
#
2
34
The player then returns to theMechanism listing at the beginning of thissection and randomly generates thecomponent Mechanisms. Duplicate rollssimply means that an extra effort isneeded; that Mechanism is twice ascomplicated as your Mage had initiallythought. Examples of Ritualcombinations include Word/Gesture,Chant/Talisman, and Song/Dance.
Mechanisms are only effective if usedby someone who actually possessesMagical Power. Mechanisms can beimitated by normal people but the Effectwon't occur because the imitator doesn'thave the Power to support the mimicry.So forget about tape-recording Chantsand playing them back whenever youwant. Of course, if the Mechanism isimitated by someone who didn't knowthat they possessed Magical Power, thenthe Effect might unexpectedly occur.
For example, the famouschoreographer Rob Fusse created aballet that incorporated dance steps he'donce witnessed in a Tibetan temple. Hedidn't know that the dance was really aWeather Control spell. He also didn'tkrow that his lead dancer was a buddingSorceress; she didn't know it either. Onthe opening night, the dancer'sexcitement finally allowed her latentPower to connect with the spell she wasunwittingly casting, with torrential results.Critics hailed it as a new triumph inbringing realism into the theatre.
Curiously, if anyone who possessesPowers other than Magic tries to imitatea Mechanism, there is a chance it will
succeed. In such a case, the mimic'sown Powers provide the raw energy toachieve the Effect. Such a mimicryrequires two red Reason FEATs tosucceed. The first FEAT means thatsome kind of Effect has been achieved,while the second means the Effect isunder the mimic's control.
Example: Kitty Pride has beenwatching Illyana Rasputin closely in orderto figure out how Illyana creates spacewarps. Kitty tries to imitate her friend'sactions. Kitty's Remarkable Reason givesher a slim chance of success. She lucksout the first phase (a 95) and vanishesinto a glowing circle of light.Unfortunately she botched the secondphase (a 32) and didn't reappear atpoolside as she intended. An hour laterProfessor X accepts a collect call fromBristol, England. It's Kitty, asking ifsomebody could come get her.
The second Component to Magic isthe Effect. It's just another word for thePower the player has already acquiredthrough the Power Generation process.There are twelve Powers that are uniqueto the Magic classification. Since Magesoften display Magical Powers that arevirtually identical to more normal Powers,the system had to account for those aswell. These are handled under thecategory of Power Simulation.
MG1/Enchantment: The Mage is able toinvest a target with Magical Power. Thetarget must be a non-sentient being oreven nonliving matter. The Mage is ableto turn the Enchanted item into a batterythat can harmlessly store Magic. Anyspell stored within the item can beretained indefinitely in a state ofreadiness until the spell is somehowreleased. The Mage can store any spellhe already possesses with the soleexception of this Power; a Mage cannotEnchant something that will then Enchantsomething else later on. If the Mage isworking in conjunction with another beingwho possesses other Magic or Powers,these can be stored away as well byincorporating them into the spell.
Enchantment can store any number ofspells, within the limit imposed byEnchantment's rank number. The totalrank numbers of any.spells that areEnchanted into a target cannot exceed
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Enchantment's own rank number.For example, Feeble Enchantment can
only store a single Feeble spell;Monstrous Enchantment can store oneAmazing and one Excellent spell, sevenGood spells, 37 Feeble spells, or anycombination.
The Mage is not required to crameverything he has into everyEnchantment he makes.
The Mage must make contact With theitem in order to fully Enchant it. If hedoes not make physical contact, the rankof any spells he is storing decreases -1CS for each ten feet that separates theMage and the item. For example, aMonstrous Enchantment could only placeTypical spells in a target 60 feet away.
Enchantment is disrupted by thepresence of a Psyche in the target. Thisis why only non-sentient or nonlivingitems can be used. While sentientRobots and Computers cannot beEnchanted, mindless servomechanismscan be. The mechanical components of aCyborg may fall into this category; theJudge is free to decide on an individualbasis. If he decides so, the Enchantmentdoes not directly affect the living sectionsof the Cyborg.
Enchantment can be prevented by avariety of factors. Interrupting theMechanism that creates this Effect willprevent Enchantment from occurring atall. Removing the target causes theMage to Enchant the now-empty air; ifthe inter. loper substitutes another itembefore the Mechanism is complete, thenthat item will get Enchanted instead. Awould-be target can be protected fromunwanted Enchantment by Force Fieldvs. Magic, Resistance to Magic, MagicControl, Magic Domination, or apreviously created Ward.
When the Mage Enchants the item, hemust specify the stimulus that willrelease the Magic. This can be a specifictime, event, condition, intended target, orhave a controlled release at the will ofwhoever is in possession of theEnchanted item. This last exampleincludes such things as magical amulets,swords, wands, and the rest of the exoticparaphernalia that clutters the Sword-and-Sorcery genre.
Such an item reverts to normal whenall the spells have been released. Somespells are permanent modifications.
These are spells that only directly affectthe item itself and not a second, externaltarget later on. The innate Powers of apermanently Enchanted item can beresisted or even negated by suchPowers as Force Field vs. Magic,Resistance to Magic, Iron Will, MagicControl, or Magic Domination.
Optional Powers include ElementalConversion, Molecular Conversion, andMolding.
Nemeses include Force Field vs.Magic, Resistance to Magic, MagicControl, or Magic Domination.
MG2/Energy Source: The Mage drawshis Magic from a special source thatprovides him with all the raw Power heneeds. As long as the Mage can maintainhis link with his Source, he can continueto use the Magic it provides. The natureof the Source and the link vary byindividual case. If the source is smallenough, the Mage might be required tocarry it with him. If not, perhaps theMage has to simply return to the Sourceat regular intervals or forge a mystical"silver cord" that ties him to the Source,regardless of the intervening distance.The Judge ana player should worktogether to develop a playable Sourceand link.
If the link is severed or the Sourcedestroyed, the Mage is left with a finitesupply of Magic. The amount of rawMagic he has left is the number of pointsequal to his Psyche rank. Each spell hecasts depletes that reservoir by theEffects rank number. Obviously, it is inthe Mage's best interests to renew hislink or repair the Source as quickly aspossible.
Example: Rolthes the Wizard drawshis Power from a glowing Orb he keepsin his Iowa City apartment. Holding theOrb at dawn renews his Power foranother day. Tuesday night the Orb gotstolen. Rolthes has Excellent Psyche andthus retains a reservoir of 20 points woithof Magic. ("Why couldn't it have beenstolen after I went to work?" he mutters.)He has enough Magic left for ten Feeble,five Poor, three Typical, two Good, cr oneExcellent spell. He casts a TypicalTelelocation spell with a range of 250miles. It costs him six points, but at leasthe knows the Orb is in a truck in Grinnellonly fifty miles away. Fourteen points are
left. Rolthes expends another six in aTypical Teleportation spell into the truck,which leaves him with eight points worthof Magic with which to Mind Control thethief and reclaim the Orb.
As you are beginning to suspect, thisisn't really a Power but is more like arestraint. Take heart, because it is also afreebie. Mark this down on an additionalslot on your sheet and roll again for anadditional Power.
MG3/Internal Limbo: The Mage cancreate a pocket dimension whosegateway is his own body. This is atimeless space of near-infinite volume.The Mage can shape conditions withinthe Internal Limbo and create anyenvironment he desires. For example,the world inside Adarn Warlock's SoulGem is a rather pleasant park. The Magecan also control the basic attitudes andemotions of any being within this Limbo.Within the Soul Gem, to continue theexample, everyone feels peace andhappiness, even if they were vicious,violent people in the outside world.Conversely, a Mage might modify hisparticular Internal Limbo to terrify anyonehe draws into it. The motion-alteringaspect of Internal Limbo functions as+6CS Emotion Control.
While the full size of anyone's InternalLimbo is difficult to measure, certainnitpicking players might want to knowhow much they can cram into theirs. Thesize of this pocket dimension is theequivalent of a cube measuring on oneside the number of miles equal to thePower rank number. For example, aTypical rank can produce a cube sixmiles on a side (216 cubic miles). TheMage can alter the shape of this cubeanyway he wants. That cube could beshaped into a flat tile 14 miles square ora ten foot high, ten foot wide corridor thatextends for 11,395 miles.
The real limit to how much the Magecan cram into his little world is the size ofthe Gateway that everything must passthrough. The Gateway in this case is theMage's body or rather a circle thediameter of his body. It is in a plane withthe body and arms outstretched. Itgenerally faces forward; that is,something has to be in front of the Magein order for him to draw it in. The size ofthe Gateway can be decreased any
43
amount and even pinched shut tempor-arily. Giant beings might limit theirgateway to, say, their mouth or the palmof a hand.
A target can Resist being draw in by theGateway by using Strength, Agility, or anyTravel Power. This Power's rankdetermines what Intensity of StrengthFEAT. A moving target requires the Mageto make an Agility FEAT to catch thetarget. If the Mage tries to draw in a targetlarger than himself, odd things canhappen. One, he might draw in only asection of it; the rest would appear to besticking out of his body. This could be fataland quite messy if some factor were tosuddenly negate this Power. Two, hemight be able to break off what parts of itwould fit within the Gateway. This requiresa Power FEAT based on the MaterialStrength of the target. Such brokenmaterials are rejoined once the enter theInternal Limbo. Three, it simply might notwork. The Mage would stick the target tohis chest but that's as far as it would go.
The only thing that is guaranteed tonever be able to enter a Mage's InternalLimbo is the Mage's own physical body.If the Mage possesses such Powers asEnergy Doppelganger, IllusoryDuplication, Lifeform Creation, FreeSpirit, Anatomical Separation, Self-Duplication, or Astral Body, then he cansend a part or a representation of himselfinto his little world while the rest ofhimself stays in the outer world. Withoutsuch an ability, the Mage is limited toonly basic awareness of conditions withinthe Internal Limbo. To conclude theexample, Adam Warlock had no idea atall of what conditions were like within theSoul Gem until he physically died andwas drawn in.
Optional Powers includes any one ofthe following—Energy Doppelganger,Illusory Duplication, Lifeform Creation,Free Spirit, Anatomical Separation,SelfDuplication, and Astral Body.
The Nemesis for this is Dimension Travel.
MG4/Magic Control: The Mage can alterthe behavior of pure Magic itself, whetherit is in a raw or applied state. The Magecan control the actions of any Magicwithin his range and capabilities. If theMagic is free of a living Mage's body, thePower rank of that Magic determineswhat Intensity FEAT is required. For
example, a Typical Controller needs tomake a red FEAT to control a Good rank.
If the Magic is internalized withinanother living Mage, the necessary FEATis determined by the other Mage'sPsyche. For example, a Monstrous rankis required to even think aboutmanipulating Dr. Strange's magic.
If Control is achieved, it affects theentire rank of that Magic. The range atwhich a Mage can Control Magic isdetermined by his own Power rank.Distances are shown on Column A of theRange Table on the inside cover.
The Power can be made to affecteither a specific type of spell or all thespells of specific Mage. In the first case,Control is exerted over all spells of thechosen type within the Mage's range,regardless of how many other Mages areaffected. For example, the Mage mightnegate all Flying spells wfthin a certainarea.In the second case, Control isexerted over a particular Magicaladversary and affects all the spells thatMage possesses. For example, thearchsorceress Jen'tmril reduces Rolthes'Spells to Feeble level.
The duration of the Control lasts amaximum number of minutes equal tothe Power rank number. After theexpiration of that Control, it must berenewed. This can be done indefinitely.
The range at which Control can beexerted is determined by the Power rank;appropriate distances are shown onColumn A of the Range Table. Control isdirected in a straight line; it is notautomatically an area effect. If the Magedesires an area effect, the sphere hecreates has a radius equal to -4CSrange. For example, Excellent Controlcan be exerted over a six-area range orsurround the Mage with a field thatsurrounds only his body.
There are three forms of MagicControl. When creating the Mage, theplayer can choose any single form at fullPower rank. Additional forms can begained by decreasing all Control ranksby -1CS for each additional form. Theplayer can select forms himself or let thedice do it.
Die Roll
01-40
41-7071-00
Form
Manipulation
Magnification/ReductionNegation
Manipulation—The Mage can alter theflow and application of Magic. He canchange the direction of a cast spell'senergies with a green Power FEAT. Hecan alter the effects of a spell by a yellowFEAT. He can completely change thenature of the spell by a red FEAT. Forexample, Rolthes casts a Feeble FireGeneration at Jen'tmril; she Manipulatesthe flames into a spray of rose petals.The Mage need not actually possess thenew spell the old one was Manipulatedinto, but the new spell must besomething harmless to either combatant.Magnification/Reduction—The Mage caneither increase or decrease the rank ofthe affected Magic by his own Powerrank number. For example, by means ofa red FEAT and Remarkable Control, aMage could change an Incredible spell toeither Good or Monstrous rank.Unfortunately, the one thing the Magecannot affect is his own Magic.Negation—This is an extreme form ofReduction. The Mage can completelydispel any Magic within his scope. Spellscompletely dissipate. Things affected bythe dispelled Magic revert to their originalcondition. Mages are reduced to NormalHumans (or whatever). The worst effectis on Magical Creatures. The loss ofMagic may be damaging or even fatal tosuch beings.
Undesired Control can be avoided byDodging a directed attack, moving out ofthe Control's range, or by the use of suchPowers as Force Field vs. Magic,Resistance to Magic, and this MagicalPower. Successful resistance enablesthe would be target to retain his normalMagic, at least for now.
The Nemesis is an opposing or higherranked form of Magic Control.
MG5/Magic Creation: The Mage has theability to create new Magical Powers andinvest them into sentient beings for theirown use. The new Magic can be of anynature, including any of the listings in thisbook, so long as they are treated asMagical rather than normal Powers. Itcan even be used to create any Magic orPowers that are not found in this book, ifyou find something I overlooked.
The Mage is limited in the number andPower ranks she can Create. The varietyof such Powers as she can Create goesbeyond her own innate Magical Powers.
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("Those who can't do, teach.") The Magecan create a variety of Magical Powerswhose maximum number is equal to herPower rank number. This number alwaysincludes those Powers the Mage alreadypossesses. The player and Judge shouldagree on a list of Magical Powers theMage can create in others; at least halfthe list should be randomly determined toreflect odd bits of arcane knowledge theMage had picked up along the way.
The Magical Powers she confers arenowhere near as high ranked as thosethe Mage possesses. New Magic isinitially ranked at -3CS of this Power'srank. This can later be improved by theactions of the recipient. How long th erecipient retains the Power is determinedby the Mage's Reason; it is a measure ofhow well he taught the recipient. Aseparate FEAT made at the time ofcreation reveals the maximum duration.A green FEAT gives a duration of oneday times the combined Reason ranknumbers of -the Mage and the recipiebt.A yellow FEAT increases that to 10 daystimes the combined Reason ranknumbers. A red FEAT ensures theMagic's permanency.
Example: The arch-sorceress Jen'tmrilconfers the ability to Dimension Travel onher acolyte, Eleanor. She possessesMonstrous Magic Creation and can giveEleanor a Remarkable rank. Theircombined Reason rank numbers totalforty, points. She makes a yellow FEAT;the Power will last 400 days.
Judges may want to forbid this Powerto any player characters or restrict it tocharacters with high Karma. In that case,players should roll again for a new Power.
Optional Powers includeHyperIntelligence and Total Memory.
The Nemesis for this Power is MagicControl/ Negation.
MG6/Magic Domination: This is a formof Mind Control. The Mage can controlthe actions of other Mages in regards tothe casting and use of Magic spells. TheMage acts as a Puppetmaster who cancontrol the physical actions but not thecorscious mind of his victim. The Magecan iorce his puppet to cast any Magiche possesses in any way the controllingMage desires. The Mage cannot controlthe actual characteristics of thepuppetMage's Magic. Range, area of
effect, and casting time are all unaltered.The Power is a battle of the Mage's
Power rank versus the would-be victim'sPsyche. Psyche determines the Intensityof the Power FEAT. For example, aMonstrous rank needs a Green FEAT toovercome Illyana Rasputin's AmazingPsyche.
The range at which a Mage canattempt Domination varies with his rankand the number being controlled. Thenormal ranges for Dominating a singlebeing are shown on column A of theRange Table. Each additional being theMage controls causes the range todecrease -1CS. The duration is as longas the Mage can retain his concentration.The Judge is free to develop his ownstandards of how hard that is in a givensituation. If a victim fails his initialResistance, he can try again every tenturns by making a Psyche FEAT basedon this Power's rank. A green FEATmeans the victim has freed himself of theDomination.
As you might suspect, this Power onlyworks against Mages and MagicalCreatures. Notmal bein ing non-Mag ical'Powers are exempt. Curiously, usingMagic Negation on a puppet-Mage willfree him of the effects of Domination.
If the target of this Power voluntarilycooperates with the Mage, then control isautomatic. Domination can be thwartedby such Powers as Force Field vs. Magic,Resistance to Magic, and Magic Control.
Optional Powers include Mind Controland Power Domination.
The Nemesis is either an enhancedPsyche to protect the Nemesis or MagicDomination to usurp the Mage's controlof others.
MG7/Magic Transferral: The Mage cantransfer some or all of her Magic toanother sentient being. Only this Powercannot be transferred. Any combinationof Powers and ranks can be transferred.The rank of each spell decreases therank for that spell held by the Mage. Forexample, Jen'tmril has ExcellentLevitation. By transferring a Good rank ofit into her aide Eleanor, she reduces herown rank to Good. The Mage cantransfer a single Power with each spell.
Because suddenly gaining MagicalPower is usually in the recipient's bestinterests, Resistance is not usually
attempted. The recipient is usually tryingto cooperate instead. If Resistance iscalled for, unwanted Transferral can bethwarted by such things as moving thetarget out of range, disrupting the spell'smechanism as it is being cast, orblocking it with such Powers as ForceField vs. Magic, Resistance to Magic, orMagic Control.
The Mage should be in contact withthe recipient in order to transfer the fullrank of the loaned Power. For each tenfeet of distance betweEin the two, therank of the transferred Magic drops -1CS. The decreased rank is still lost tothe Mage; it is as if she transferred partof her Magic to the air itself. If the Mageattempts to simultaneously transfer herMagic to two or more recipients, she canby simply dividing the Magic equallybetween them.
The duration of the loaned Magicvaries with the Reason ranks of theMage and the recipient. A green ReasonFEAT at the time of transferml gives aduration of 100 turns times the combinedReason rank numbers. A yellowFEAT,increases that to 10,000 turnstimes the Reason total. A red FEATmeans the transferral is permanent.
Optional Powers include MindTransferral and Power Transferral.
Nemeses include Force Field vs. Magic,Resistance to Magic, and Magic Control.
MG8/Magic Vampirism: TheMageVampire can drain the Magicalenergy from a target and convert thatMagic into extra Strength, Endura-.1ce,Psyche, and any other Magic or Powershe possesses.
The Mage-Vampire can force anonliving, non-sentient Magical item orbeing to release all its raw Magic. Hemust make a FEAT whose Intensity isequal to the highest ranked Magic thetarget possesses. For example, drainingthe Magic from Silver Dagger'snamesake weapon requires an AmazingIntensity FEAT. A drained item is nownothing but a collection of normalmaterials. Magical beings may be hurt ordestroyed if the Magic was an intrinsicpart of their physiology. If not, they arenow normal, powerless creatures.
Living or sentient beings are harder todrain because they possess a Psyche.The would-be victim's Psyche determines
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what Intensity FEAT is required. Asuccessful FEAT enables the Mage todrain Magic from the victim. An amountof raw Magic equal to this Power's ranknumber is drawn in equal amounts fromall the victim's Magical Powers and anyMagic that forms his physical body. Thelast applies if the victim is somethingother than human, such as a Golem. Theprocess of feeding can continueindefinitely, as long as the Mage-Vampirecontinues to make successful FEATs.Each turn drains another rank's worthof Magic.
The Mage-Vampire can voluntarilycease feeding at any time by making aPsyche FEAT of any color except red. Ared FEAT means the Mage-Vampire'shunger is beyond his control. He hasentered a feeding frenzy that will onlycease when the target has beencompletely drained of Magic.
If the Mage-Vampire fails to make anyFEAT during the feeding process, hemust break off his attack and cannotreestablish it. The victim instantlydevelops an immunity to that particularMageVampire and cannot be subjectedto any future Attaoks by him. Thisimmunity does not protect him from otherMage Vampires.
The Magic that the Mage-Vampireabsorbs is used to increase his Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and any other Magicor Powers he possesses. The increase isin equal amounts to all the adjustedAbilities. The only Magic or Powers thatcannot be increased is this MagicalVampirism itself.
Example: Darkhound is an ExcellentMage-Vampire but possesses FeebleStrength, Poor Endurance, GoodPsyche, and two Powers of Remarkablerank. His intended victim is Sytanceas, ademihuman Mage with three MagicalPowers (Remarkable Sympathetic Magic,Feeble Internal Limbo, and TypicalGateway) and an Excellent Psyche.Darkhound makes the necessary yellowFEAT to begin feeding. He drains twentypoints worth of Magic from Sytanceas.
The loss of six points each wipes outthe Internal Limbo and Gateway spellsand reduces the third Magical Power linEY, cellent rank. Darkhound adds fivepoints, to each of his relevant Abilities;he now has Typical Strength, GoodEndurance, Excellent Psyche, and two
Incredible Powers. In the next turn,trouble strikes when Darkhound's playerrolls a 51. Instantly a shock runs throughDarkwolf and repulses him from his prey.The shaken Sytanceas looks first at thefleeing and then at the hank of fur he'dgrabbed from his attacker
Why do Mage-Vampires do it? Due totheir peculiar nature, they lose energy ata disturbing rate. The rank numbers forStrength, Endurance, Psyche, and anyMagic or Powers (except this one) dropone point per hour. The Mage-Vampiremust feed to return things to theiroriginal levels.
A Mage-Vampire cannot actually starveif denied victims, but when all hisaffected rank numbers reach Shift-0, heenters a death-like trance. His MagicalVampirism continues to seek victims andcan attempt to drain anything Magicalthat comes in contact with the body.When the Mage-Vampire's Abilities returnto Feeble rank, he returns to life.
When creating the Mage-Vampire, theplayer must play his Weakness (youcannot ignore it like many of your fellowplayers do theirs). The player canincrease the Power rank by +1CS foreach additional Weakness he takes, upto a maxim,um of three additionalWeaknesses.
Magical Vampirism is communicable. Aliving or sentient being who wascompletely drained of all Magic by aMageVampire must make a mandatoryPsyche FEAT roll. A red FEAT means thevictim has himself been transformed intoa Feeble Mage-Vampire.
The Nemesis for this is an enhancedPsyche two levels higher than theMageVampire's Power rank.
MG9/Power Simulation: This is not anactual Magical Power. What it is is aMagical version of any Power in theUltimate Powers Book. The player simplyrolls the dice again at this point to ran-domly determine another Power. Such aPower is to then considered to beMagical in nature and follows the rulesfor Magic rather than for relatively normalPower. For example, whereas Cyclopscan simply open his ruby visor to unleasha glowing Kinetic bolt, a Mage with theMagical equivalent must go through themotions of casting a spell to achieve thesame effect. This can be a problem when
the Mage is in a combat situation but noone said a Mage's life was easy.
Once this Magical Power appears andthe player rolls again to gain an actualPower, any other Powers the playergains should also be considered to beMagical in nature. This may require theplayer to re-think his concept of hisdeveloping hero.
MG10/Reality Alteration: The Mage canreshape time itself in order to achieve adesired situation. There are four forms ofthis Power, each with a specific area ofeffect. Three of these alter the conditionsthat result from the passage of time. Thefourth alters the actual flow of time.
When the player creates a characterwith this Power, he must roll the dice torandomly determine what form his Magepossesses.
Die Roll
01-40
41-6566-7576-00
Form
Future
PresentPastTemporal Flow
Alter Future—The Mage can control theprobability of a certain event coming topass. The event can have any degree ofimportance, from a simple coin toss tothe passage of the Mutant Control Act.Events of greater importance require theMage to make the desired change in aseries of several steps over a greatperiod of time. The Power is limited todirectly influencing events within a finiterange of time and complexity. Themaximum range into the future that theMage can directly influence events is thenumber of turns equal to her Power ranknumber. For example, an Excellent rankcan influence an event that won't occurfor another twenty turns. The complexityof the desired change decides whatIntensity FEAT is required. Randomchance or a single event that is decidedby the dice requires a green FEAT tochange to the Mage's whim. Series ofphysical actions or altering a person'sdecisions requires a yellow FEAT.Altering several conscious decisions bytwo or more people requires a red FEAT.The Mage must be within line-of-sight ofthe location of the impending event inorder to use this Power. Clairvoyance or
46
Sensory Link can be coupled with thisPower to extend its range up to the limitof that Puwer's detection range.
This Power requires a great deal ofcooperation with the Judge, especially atthe higher levels that have an immediaterange of several minutes or hours ofgame time. If the FEAT is successful, thefuture event occurs naturally at theappointed time. If the FEAT isunsuccessful, the event is somehowprotected from the Mage's tampering.She must try a different tactic if shemakes another attempt to alter thatfuture event.
Example: Tamper has RemarkableReality Alteration and a range of threeminutes. She is incognito at a secretCongressional Appropriations Committeemeeting at which Henry Peter Gyrich isseeking funding for additional Sentinels.Tamper is trying to cut the funding. Asthis requires changing the minds ofseveral Congressmen, a red FEAT isrequired. Two minutes before the vote istaken, she tries and fails (her playerrolled a 66). The Congressmen's mindsare already made up. She tries anothertactic by concentrating on Gyrich himself.She increases the probability that hewould do something incredibly obnoxiousthat would disgrace him in front of theCongressmen. This only alters a singlemind and is a yellow FEAT. She fails thattoo (he's too hidebound). Finally sheconcentrates on making the fire sprinklersystem fail (a green FEAT). Shesucceeds, the room gets drenched, andthe Committee adjourns before actuallytaking the vote. Tamper has another dayto figure out some way to succeed.
Some events appear to be too complexfor this Power. In such a case, the Mageshould remember the adage, "From littleacorns grow mighty oaks." A littletimetampering today can snowball into amajor rewrite of history in years to come.Alter Present—The Mage can changethe conditions of her present surround-ings. It is as if the Mage had somehowaltered the past without realizing it. Intruth, the Mage has built a pocket di-mension that transformed her immediatesurroundings into those of a world from analternate timeline. The world she uses isone whose natural conditions most closelymatches the desired conditions. Thedegree of difference between the real and
the borrowed world determines whatIntensity FEAT is required. A world thatfairly closely matches that of the MarvelUniverse requires a green FEAT. A worldof major historical differences but similarin biological and geological terms requiresa yellow FEAT. Worlds that are drasticallydifferent, such as a New York built byintelligent lizards, require a red FEAT.
The Mage can take any number ofpeople along to this other-world. Themaximum number is equal to the Powerrank number. Anyone consciouslybrought along retains their original mindsand memories of conditions in theirnative reality. Such passengers canoperate freely anywhere within theMage's area of control.
A size of the affected region is aspherical area whose size is determinedby the Power rank. The radius is thenumber of miles equal to the Power ranknumber. A curious side-effect of thisPower is that the affected area can beused as a gateway to the other-world itemulates. Anyone traveling beyond therange of the Mage's Power isautomatically transported to that realworld. Fortunately they retain a link to theMage that allows them to automaticallyreturn if they again enter the arearepresented by the Mage's Power. Thisassumes they return while the Mage'slittle world still exists; if they tarry toolong they become accidental emigres tothis other-world and will have to find theirown way home.
The actual lifespan of the pocketdimension is determined by a separateReason FEAT made at the time ofcreation. A green Reason FEAT gives amaximum duration of two hours times theReason rank number. A yellow Featincreases it to one day times the Reasonrank number. A red FEAT increases that toten days times the Reason rank number.In very special circumstances, the Magemight be able to make the durationpermanent. In such a case, the pocketdimension has expanded to take in all ofthe emulated other-world. Such cases areentirely at the Judge's discretion andshould be limited to extremely urgentrewritings of campaign history. An exampleof this might be if Fabian Stankowitz hadaccidentally killed all the Avengers in thelast gaming session.
The Mage can terminate the pocket
dimension at any time, thereby returningeveryone to the real world. Their locationsupon returning correspond to their relativepositions in the other-world. If their earlierpositions had been at an altitude or depthother than ground level, upon returningthey are safely deposited on a surfacethat most resembles their earlier position.If none is available, they are deposited atground level.Alter Past—The Mage can actuallychange past history and thereby reallyalter the present. This is the mostpowerful listing in the Ultimate PowersBook. As such, it will probably beforbidden to player characters except inthe rarest of cases. The range at whichthe Mage can reach into past isdetermined by the Power rank. TheMage must be at the site of any pastevent he wants to change. His Powerrank decreases -1CS for each mile it isaway from the actual site. The maximumtemporal range is the number of weeksequal to the Power rank number. Forexample, a Shift-Y rank can reach nearlyfour years into the past.
The difficulty of the desired changedetermines what Intensity rank isrequired. Single physical events, such asanything determined by a single die roll,can be changed by a green FEAT.Complex or sequential physical events oraltering a single being's behaviorrequires a yellow FEAT. Altering thebehavior of two or more beings requiresa red FEAT. The reason most Judges willforbid their players to have this Power isthat it requires them to rethink. thehistory of their Marvel campaign in termsof this alteration. Take heart in thecynical knowledge that most people'sactions do not significantly alter the fabricof history. As a rule of thumb concerningcommon people, there is only a one-in-a-thousand chance that one person'schanged decision will have a significanteffect on history. When dealing withinfluential people (leaders, super beings,creative types, and so on), the probabilityrises to one-in-ten.
Note: There is much debate over thetrue nature of tampering with the past. Isthere a single timeline that is irreparablychanged by each act of tampering? Arethere infinite worlds and thus tamperingis not only allowed but encouraged?Does the act of tampering actually
47
catapult the tamperer into an alternateworld of her own devising? The gamemechanics support the last interpretation.Each Judge's Marvel campaign is set inan alternate world that more or lessmirrors the published accounts of theMarvel Universe (the comic books,people). Extensive tampering in the pastaffects only the world of the tampererand her player. Judges can even playseveral alternate timelines, switchingamong them at each gaming session.Alter Temporal Flow—The Mage canalter the rate at which time passes. Hecan accelerate or decelerate it to such apoint that the affected area is apparentlyin stasis. The maximum amount that timeis altered is proportional to the Powerrank number. Time is accelerated by itsnormal rate times the Power ranknumber. For example, a Good rank canmake time pass at tenfold speed.
Deceleration makes time apparentlypass at arate equal to the normal ratedivided by the Power rank number. Forexample, a Monstrous rate can stretchone minute into 75 minutes.
The perception of time's passagedepends on who is actually acceleratedor decelerated. To an acceleratedperson, the world has slowed down. To adecelerated person, time has sped up.Clever Mages can really screw people upby playing on this. For example,decelerating everyone around a certainperson might make that person believethat he had actually been accelerated.
The Power may be used to alter eitherthe Mage or another target. If it is usedagainst another, that target is allowed toresist. Such means include Force Fieldvs. Magic, Resistance to Magic, andTime Travel. The Power can bedeveloped into a Variety of Power stunts.
Optional Powers include Precognitionfor Alter Future, Clairvoyance for AlterPresent, and Retrocognition for Alter
Past.Each form is its own Nemesis.
MG11/Spirit Vampirism: The Mage candrain the Intuition and Psyche from atarget and use the absorbed energy toincrease his own Strength, Endurance,Psyche, and other Powers he possesses.
The higher ranked Ability of the victimdetermines what Intensity FEAT isrequired. A successful FEAT enables the
Vampire to drain energy from bothvictim's Psyche and Intuition in equalamounts. The amount drained per turn isequal to'this Power's rank number. TheVampire can drain this amount each turnthat he makes a successful FEAT. Hecan voluntarily stop feeding at any pointby making a Psyche FEAT of any colorexcept red. A red FEAT means hishunger is beyond his control. He hasentered a feeding frenzy that cannot stopuntil the victim's Psyche and Intuition arecompletely drained or the Vampire hasbeen repulsed.
If the Vampire fails to make a FEAT atany stage in the feeding process, he isinstantly repulsed from the victim. He cannever re-establish his attack because thevictim develops an instant immunity toany Vampiric attack from that specificVampire. The victim can be the target ofattacks by other Vampires later on.
The drained energy is added in equalamounts to the Vampire's Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and any Powers theVampire has. The exception is thisPower; no Vampiric Power can ever beincreased by the Vampire himself.
Example: Madame Arcania is a GoodClairvoyant and Incredible Vampire. Shehas Feeble Strength and Endurance andIncredible Psyche. She normally feedson the customers who come to her TeaRoom on the East Side. Today she getsa surprise, as her target is a disguisedMesmero, who possesses TypicalIntuition and Amazing Psyche, among hisother Abilities. Madame Arcania issurprised to discover she must make ared FEAT to initiate the attack but shefeels up to the challenge. She makes herfirst FEAT under the pretense of readinghis palm. Mesmero's Intuitionimmediately drops to zero and hisPsyche drops the remaining 34 points toTypical. Arcania's abilities and Powers allrise 10 points; she now has GoodStrength, Good Endurance, AmazingPsyche, and Excellent Clairvoyance.Normally she makes only a singlefeeding attack on her victims and shedecides to stop feeding. Her playermakes a Psyche FEAT to see if she canquit. Unfortunately, he's rolling the dicetoo well; he makes a red FEAT. ForMadame Arcania, the feast is too muchto resist. She makes a green PowerFEAT (based on the Mesmero's now-
Typical Psyche) and drains the remainingsix points. Mesmero's Psyche is now atShift-0 and he collapses. MadameArcania summons her servant to disposeof the debris.
Spirit Vampires lose energy at adreadful rate. Their rank numbers forStrength, Endurance, Psyche, and alltheir Powers except this one drop onepoint per hour. The Spirit Vampire mustfeed in order to bring these back to atleast their original levels.
Even if deprived of victims, a SpiritVarnpire will not starve to death. Whenall his atfected Abilities and Powersreach Shift-0. he enters a death-liketrance. His vampirism continues tofunction and will try to drain anyone whocomes in contact with him. When theVampire's Abilities return to Feeble, heregains consciousness.
When creating a Vampire, the playermust select and use a weakness. He canincrease the Power rank by +1CS foreach additional Weakness he chooses, upto a maximum of four weaknesses in all.
Spirit Vampirism is communicable. Avictim who was completely drained as aresult of a feeding frenzy must make amandatory Psyche FEAT roll. A red FEATtransforms the victim into a Feeble SpiritVampire.
Example: A street punk named Raoulspots Mesmero lying in an alley. Raouldecides to strip the body of anyvaluables. As soon as he touches thebody, Mesmero's new Vampirism lashesout at Raoul and begins to feed.
Spirit Vampires can be repelled bysuch Powers as Force Field vs. Magic,Resistance to Magic, and Magic Control.
The Optional Power is concurrentBioVampirism.
The Nemesis is an enhanced Psyche.
MG12/Sympathetic Magic (Voodoo):This is a combination of certain Mentaland Life Control Powers. SympatheticMagic requires the Mage make an Effigyof his target as a way of directing thePower to that target. The Effigy can be ofany quality of workmanship, from a crudewax doll to an exquisitely detailed fullportrait in oil paints; however, the Effigymust incorporate a cast-off body part,excretion, or possession of the target. Themost common example is a hank of hair.
Once the Effigy is created, any action
48
MATTER CONTROL
that affects that Effigy will also affect thetarget. Physical manipulation of the Effigycauses a similar effect on the target. Forexample, sticking a pin into a wax dollwould cause sudden stabbing pains inthe target. The effigy can be used as afocal point for Mental powers; theVoodoo Mage concentrates on the Effigyas if it were the target. Of course, thewouldbe victim can resist this Magicalattack using his Psyche.
Sympathetic Magic incorporates formsof the following Powers, which function atPower rank but are limited to a singletarget:
• Life, Magic, Power, Psionic, andWeakness Detections;
• Biophysical Control, Emotion Control,Hypnotic Control, Mind Control,Shapechange Others, Sleep—Induced,and Summoning; and
• Communicate with Animals, Empathy,Hallucinations, Remote Sensing, andTelepathy.
If the Mage possesses other Powers,these should be incorporated into thisMagic to give the Mage further forms ofVoodoo spells.
Once the Effigy is made, it can be usedover and over again to effect the target.Its Power over the target can only bebroken by removing the material thatprovides the physical link to him. Oncethe victim. knows the existence of theEffigy, he should do anything in his Powerto find it and remove the linking material.
The range at which the Voodoo canaffect a target is determined by thePower rank. Appropriate distances areshown on Column B of the Range Table.The Voodoo can only actively affect asingle target at any one time because ofthe simple constraint that all the VoodooMage's hands and concentration areneed to perform the Magic.
Effigies can affect any living or sentientbeing. Sympathetic Magic can be usedagainst Robots, Computers, Cyborgs,rock-men, gas-women, and so on,provided the rules are followed. (Makingan Effigy of an Ethereal would be kind oftricky though.)
The Nemesis for this Power is Iron Will.
MG13/Warding: The Mage can createareas of latent Power in any desired
location. The Ward is designated by aspecial substance or mark. The magedecides what specific Powers the Wardpossesses and what the triggeringstimulus will be. When that stimulusoccurs, the Ward releases all its power isa single turn, generally in the direction ofwhatever created the stimulus.
The Power's rank determines howgreat a variety of Wards the Mage cancreate. The rank number is also thenumber of Powers he can incorporateinto his Wards, even if the Mage cannotdirectly use those Powers. hirrn-self.Each Wards's intensity rank is the sameas the Mage's own rank. For example, aMage with Excellent Warding can create20 different Wards, each possessingExcellent Intensity rank.
A Remarkable Intensity FEAT enablesthe Mage to create a single-use Ward.An Amazing Intensity FEAT enables himto create a self-renewing Ward. ThePower rank number is also the maximumnumber of Wards a Mage can have inexistence at any one time. If the Magetries to surpass this number, his oldeststill-existing Ward harmlessly vanishes.The minimum distance between Wards isone foot for each point of the Wards'combined Intensity rank numbers. Forexample, a Feeble and a MonstrousWard must be separated by at least 77feet.If the Mage attempts to place a newward within range of an existing one, thenew one will not function. If the newWard's area of effect would overlap withanother Ward, the new Ward cannothave the full Intensity rank. The newWard will have a maximum rank that willonly touch the edge of the earlier Ward'srange. For example, a Good Wardcoyers an area of ten-foot radius.If theMage tries to create a Remarkable Wardwithin twenty feet of the Good Ward, liediscovers he can only create a Goodward at best. If he backs off anothertwenty feet, though, he can create theIntensity he desires.
The triggering mechanism can be anycondition stated by the Mage at the timeof creation. Normally Wards are.triggered by the close passage of a livingbeing. Thus they are often found neardoorways or in passages.
Once created, Wards last until they aredepleted or destroyed. Given thedurability of modern building materials, a
Ward can last for about a century or so.(Quick, name five 100-year-old buildingsin your area!) Wards can be destroyedby demolishing the surface on which theyare placed or by the use of MagicControl/ Negation. Wards can bedetected by a number of ways. Thesimplest is the brute force method oftriggering them (also called the reallystupid method). The presence of a Wardcan be revealed by either Energy, Magic,Power, or Psionic Detection.
Shortly after the Mage has beencreated, the Player should make up a listof at half of the possible Wards he cancreate. The Player should return to thePower Generation tables on pages 14-16and randomly generate all the Powersthe Mage can incorporate into Wards.Wards that employ a special variation onnormal Power use, such as a PowerStunt, should be treated as individualWards.
Example: Consider two different Wardsthat each employ Force FieldGeneration. One creates a trap thatenvelops anyone within the target area.The other one creates an invisiblecolumn of force that shoves anyone backwith rank level Strength. Each of these isconsidered a separate Ward andrequires a unique designation.
Nemesis Powers include Energy,Magic, Psionic, and Power Detectionsand Resistance to Magic.
Matter Control Powers
MC1/Bonding: The hero has the ability
to join two or more targets together on amolecular level. The effect is the sameas if the targets were glued or weldedtogether. In actuality, the hero hasinduced molecular adhesion. Asubmicroscopic examination would fail toreveal any foreign material (such as aglue) or disturbances in the normalarrangement of the target's structure(such as the distortion caused bywelding). The Bonding is so powerfulthat attempting to sever its effect resultsin physical damage to either of theBonded targets because the only way toforcibly separate two Bonded objects isto tear the surface of one or both ofthem. This causes Typical wounds to aliving target.
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The range for Bonding is limited toContact only. The hero need not touchthe actual area to be Bonded, althoughthe hero needs to touch the two targetssomewhere in order to direct the Power'seffect. Once the hero is touching bothtargets and has begun to manifest hisPower, Bonding occurs at any pointwhere the two targets are in contact witheach other. The Bonding process takesany number of turns, depending both onthe hero's Power rank and the desiredmaterial strength of the Bonding. The firstturn produces a Bonding of Feeblematerial strength. Each turn the Bondingprocess continues raises that materialstrength +1CS, up to the limit of thePower rank. At any point the hero cancease to use his Power and thusproduce Bondings of varied strengths.
Example: K. Z. Glew has GoodBonding and is testing his Power on anumber of blocks. When he holds twotogether for two turns, he produces aPoor Bonding. Holding two together forthree turns produces a Typical Bonding.Holding two bricks for four turnsproduces a Good Bonding; in fact, K. Z.could concentrate on the same twobricks all day and not be able to exceedthat Good Bonding.
The duration of the Bonding isdetermined by a Power FEAT at the timethe Power is used. A green FEAT createsa Bond that lasts a number of turnsequal to the hero's Reason rank numbertimes 100. A yellow FEAT increases themultipliers to 10,000 turns times theReason rank number. A red FEATensures a permanent Bonding. If theBonding is temporary, its effects endwithout a trace at the expiration of thetime limit.
This is a Power that readily combineswith many of the other listings in thisbook. Combining it with Webcastingproduces an equivalent to Spiderman'sweb. Weapons Tinkering produces anequivalent to the Trapster's glue gun.Chemical Touch produces a naturaladhesive coating on the hero's body.Combustion or Fire Generation producesnapalm. There are more but I'll leave themto the player's imagination to devise.
The Power can only affect solids.Liquid, gaseous, ethereal, and Phasingmatter are immune to this Power'seffects. Once Bonded, matter cannot
Phase as a means of escaping theadhesion; doing so causes Typicaldamage as the Bonded surface is lettbehind. Transition from solid to eitherliquid or gaseous state will work to freethe Bonded matter without physicaldamage, although this is not an optionfor most people.
Bonding only occurs on the surfaceand does not penetrate more than 1/16th of an inch into any Bonded material.The effect this has on living targets isthat only the epidermis is affected. As itdoes not affect liquids, the Powerautomatically penetrates any coating thatmight otherwise protect the target.
Optional Powers include MissileCreation, Spray, Webcasting, andWeapons Tinkering.
The Nemeses are Phasing, BodyTransformation, and Energy Body.
MC2/Collection: The hero can causeany.desi red. material to collect in aspecific location. This material mustalready be present and diffusedthroughout the hero's vicinity, whether inthe air, water, soil, or scattered across theground. The Collection area has a radiusdetermined by the Power rank; distancesare shown on column C of the RangeTable inside this book's cover. Forexample, an Incredible rank can collectmaterial from as far as 25 miles away.Collected material instantly teleports tothe designated Collection site. The sitemust be in line of sight of the hero andwithin his Power's range. The hero canCollect per turn a maximum amount ofmaterial measured in the number ofpounds equal to the Power rank number.This assumes, of course, that enoughmaterial exists within the vicinity in orderto be Collected. Any material of anynature can be Collected. There is apartial exemption to this rule in regards toliving beings. The Power can only Collectliving beings whose weight is within theweight limits for the Power; if the beingsweighs more, the Power can not affectthem aside from a brief tug. If the Poweris used to Collect the bodily products ofliving beings, player and Judges are toassume that so little is drawn from eachbeing that no harm results. For example,a character could Collect a mass ofblood without having to worry that hebled some stranger to death.
The Power does not after the state ofany matter either before or afterCollection. The desired matter must be inthe basic chemical formulation desired.Desired materials that are in somealtered state are not affected by thePower. For example, trying to Collectsteel in a junkyard full of rust will lead tonaught. The exception is if the desiredmaterial is in either a state of solution orsuspension, since neither actually affectsthe chemical nature of the material.
For example, imagine your hero isstanding at the seaside and practicing hisPower. He cannot Collect the hydrogenbound into the water but he could Collectsalt, gold, or anything else dissolved intoseawater. Collecting salt is easy; aRemarkable Power can Collect a man-sized pile within a minute's time. Gold isharder; each cubic mile of seawatercontains only a few ounces of gold.
Due to some unexplained limitationto this Power, it cannot randomly Collectforeign materials found within the bodiesof anyone within the Power's range.Common foreign materials include toothfillings, prostheses, sutures, and drugs.If the hero must Collect such materialsfrom a body. For example if he knowsarsenic has been swallowed bysomeone, the conditions increase indifficulty. The hero must be in contactwith the source of the desired materialand the hero must make a red FEATto withdraw the material withoutharming the donor. Failure to do someans the material is still locked withinthe target's body.
Ethereal and Phasing matter can beCollected. They just can't be held for anylength of time without consciously andrepeatedly using the Power to returnsuch matter to the Collection site.
This Power is most commonly linked tothe Matter Control and ConversionPowers as a way to gather sufficient rawmaterial to permit the other Powers tofunction. These are listed as OptionalPowers. Even if used by itself, this Powercan be used effectively. Matter can beCollected to form a protective shield or toentrap a foe in a suddenly appearing pileof debris. Dirt or water can be Collectedto smother a fire or dampen escapingradiation. The hero is free to developvarious Power Stunts using suddenlymaterialized matter.
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The complexity of the material to becollected determines what Intensity FEATis required. Raw, amorphous materialscan be collected in a dusty pile by agreen FEAT. Common examples includemetals, dirt, and water. Formed orcomplex material requires a yellow FEATto collect in recognizable form. Examplesinclude bricks, edibles, and comic books.Biological material requires a red FEAT,whether the hero is trying to collect bileor hamsters.
Optional Powers include Crystal-lization, Matter Animation, Micro Environ-ment, Molding, Weather, Combustion,Elemental Conversion, and MolecularConversion.
The Nemesis is Matter Animation.
MC3/Crystallization: The hero cantransform any target material into agemlike material that possesses Powerrank material strength. Crystallizationoccurs because the hero has the abilityto shape the molecular bonds of normallyamorphous matter into a crystal matrix ofgreat strength. The Crystallization canoccur at any site within the hero's line ofsight and range; distances aredetermined by the Power rank and canbe found on column C of the RangeTable on the inside cover. The newly-formed Crystal is initially stationary; itcannot be launched like a missile (unlessthe hero possesses Missile Creation, butI'm getting ahead of myself). It can beformed in such a position that gravityimmediately affects it.
Crystallization automatically affectsnon-living, unprotected, stationarytargets. Moving targets require the heroto make an Agility FEAT in order to hitthe target. If Crystallization is used as anattack against a living target, it can beresisted by the usual methods. Methodsof protecting a target from beingCrystallized include Force Field vs.Energy Attack, Resistance to EnergyAttack, True Invulnerability, and variousMagics and Power Controls.
Crystal can be formed in any shapethe hero desires. The amount of Crystalthe hero can create in a single turn is thenumber of square feet equal to thePower rank number. The material to betransformed into Crystal is drawn fromparticles in the air or from the targetitself. Solid targets can themselves be
Crystallized. If the Power is used on aliving target, innate safeguardsincorporated into the Power place thetarget into a semi-state of SuspendedAnimation; all life functions temporarilycease but the target remains aware of itscondition and surroundings. ACrystallized lifeform must remain intact ifthe process is to be reversed. If theCrystallized lifeform is shattered, thetransformation is permanent. Note: theshards-of a shattered, Crystallizedlifeform all possess some of the victim'slifeforce; the percentage of the victim'sPsyche possessed by a particular shardis equal to the percentage of the originalbody represented by the shard. Suchshards can be used to create powerfulMagic. Such shards can also lead to laterPlot Complications. ("You don'tunderstand. The gem in the necklace Igave Helen was part of Leviathan!")
Normally Crystallization is onlytemporary. The duration of a givenCrystal is the number of minutes equal tothe Power rank number. At the expirationof this time, the Crystal reverts back toits original material. If the Crystallizationwas directed in the air the originalmaterial was probably dust particles. Asmentioned earlier, if the Crystallizationwas used to transform a living target andthat Crystal was subsequently shattered,the transformation is made permanent.(This rule is purposefully intended tospare the Judge and players fromdealing with the hamburger that would becreated if the formerly living target didrevert to its original state.) For gamepurposes, the category of "living target"can be expanded by the Judge toencompass any of the Physical Types forplayer characters and NPCs.
The Power can be combined with otherPowers listed in this book. As mentionedbefore, Missiles can give the Crystalsmomentum and range. WeaponsCreation can specialize in crystallineinstruments of destruction. Body Armoror Body Coating can be a suit of flexiblecrystalline armor with that gives Powerrank Resistance to physical or energyattacks. Vision-based Detection Powerscan be achieved by the herospontaneously forming optical devicesand lenses of crystal. If the hero has anexotic Physical Type, perhaps he canhimself be composed of living crystal.
Such categories include ModifiedHumans, Cyborgs, Robots, AbnormalChemistry, Mineral, Compound, andChangeling.
Optional Powers include WeaponsCreation (limited to Crystal weaponsonly), Collection, Matter Animation,Missile-Creation, and Spray.
Nemeses include Force Field vs.Energy Attack, Force Field vs. PhysicalAttack, Resistance to Energy, Resistanceto Physical Attack, and Disintegration.
MC/4Diminution: The hero can reducethe size of a target. The target must be inline of sight and within one area of thehero. Any material can be Diminished bythis Power With the sole exception ofmaterial that has already beenDiminished by an equal or higher rank ofthis Power. In such a case, the would-betarget is assumed to already beDiminished to a further point than thehero could reach anyway.
The level to which the hero canDiminish a target is determined by thePower rank. Levels appropriate to thisPower are:
Resultant Size
Rank
FE
PRTYGDEXREIN
AMMNUNXYZ
CL1000CL3000CL5000
(% of Original Size)
50%
25%12.5%6.25%3%1%.5%.25%.1%.01%.001%.00001%.0000001%.00000000001%.00000000000000001%.000000000000000000000000000000001%
In practical terms, a Diminishment rankof Shift X, Y, or Z is sufficient to reduce anormal-sized human to the size of a cell.Either CL1000 or CL3000 will reduce himto atomic scale. CL5000 reduces ahuman to such a point where he canenter a Microverse such as Jarella'sworld of Kaa.
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A note on Microverses: These areminiature dimensions that can bereached by a person undergoing extremesize reduction. The act of Shrinkingcauses the person to breach theDimensional Barriers and reach a chosenMicroverse. The worlds within aMicroverse roughly correspond to but arenot actually atoms or molecules. Oncewithin a Microverse, the Dimensiontraveler finds himself in an environmentthat approximates conditions in thelarger, outer world. Microverses maythemselves contain even smallerMicroverses. Even our own world may infact be a Microverse to someinconceivably larger Macroverse.
The duration of Diminution on a targetis determined by a Reason FEAT madeat the time the Power is used on thetarget. A green Reason FEAT gives aduration of the Reason rank numbertimes 100 turns. A yellow FEAT increasethis to 10,000 turns times the Reasonrank number. A red FEAT makes thediminution permanent; in such a case theonly way the target can return to itsoriginal size is through use ofEnlargement, Magic, or Power Negation.
There are three very different ways tocreate the effect of Diminution. Each hasits own mechanism and peculiar prop-erties as a result of that mechanism. Theplayer can either choose for himself or leta random die roll determine which form.
Atomic Collapse—The hero decreasesthe distance between the target's atomsand subatomic particles. The target doesnot lose weight as it shrinks. Rather, itbecomes increasingly dense and couldeventually collapse into neutronium(CL3000 Diminution) or even a blackhole (CL5000 Diminution). Strength isunaffected by the change in size butleverage becomes increasingly difficult atsmaller sizes.Atomic Reduction—The hero decreasesthe number of atoms in the target's body.The lost matter is either disintegrated (ifthe Diminution is permanent) ortemporarily removed from the target'splane of existence and stored on anotherplane until it is needed to return thetarget to its original size. Mass andstrength both decrease as the targetShrinks; the lower ranks are proportionalto the target's new size. The target
becomes increasingly simple in structureand reach a stage where the remainingstructure is too simple to sustain thelifeforce of a living target. This occurs atShift X rank. If the Diminution istemporary, the target's lifeforce is storedon the same plane as the displacedmatter that normally forms his body. AtShift Z Diminution, the target consists ofonly a single molecule which immediatelyvanishes when the next rank is reached.Atomic Reduction—This is the mostcommon form of Diminution and the onlyform that permits the target to enter aMicroverse. The hero can reduce thesize of the atoms and subatomicparticles themselves, thus reducing theoverall size in a proportional manner.Mass and physical strength are reduceda proportional amount. While this Powerhas more advantages than the otherforms, it has a deadly disadvantage. Asthe target's atoms shrink, they are nolonger able to interact with other, normalsized atoms. As a result, a living target isunable to breathe the air or consumefood or water. Seen in this light, this formof Diminution is the equivalent of a Fatalattack. Fortunately, there is a 95%chance the Power envelopes the targetin an energy field that shrinks anythingwithin one foot (proportional to thetarget's current size) of the target to thesame size as the target. This allows thetarget to breathe, drink, and eat. Theexistence of this field is randomlydetermined at the time the source of theDiminution is created. If the hero lackssuch field, then any target must have itsown supply of proportionally-sizedconsumables. Even non-living targetscan be affected in that the Powereffectively insulates them from electricity,since normal-sized electrons cannot flowinto a Diminished conductor. Treat this asrank level Resistance to Electricity. If thefield exists, electrons are automaticallyShrunken to permit conductivity.
It is assumed that when the Power isused, the hero intends to Diminish theentire target. If the hero specifies, he canattempt to shrink only part of a target.Since this is equivalent to tearing thetarget apart, a Power FEAT determinedby the Material Strength of the target isrequired to do such an act.
Example: Sizemaster has possessesRemarkable Diminution. Seeing an
uproar at his local bank, he wanders in tosee what's up. He discovers TheShocker trying desperately to free peopletrapped in a safe and he decides toassist the rescue. He locates a section ofthe safe away from The Shocker andbegins to manifest his Power. The safe ismade of steel and reinforced concreteand has a Remarkable Material Strength.Good, Sizemaster only needs to make ayellow FEAT to Diminish a hatch in thesafe's wall. Within twelve seconds he hasDiminished a six-foot-wide area into aone-inch-wide plug, which drops out ofthe wall and rolls around on the floor.Sizemaster is helping the trapped peopleout of the safe when Shocker finallyburns through the opposite wall. Laterthe two rivals seal the hole Sizemastermade by holding the plug in place asreturned to its original size.
The Power can automatically effect anon-living, stationary, unprotected target.Moving targets require the hero to makean Agility FEAT to hit the target with hisPower. Living targets are allowed toresist the Power's effects in the sameway they would resist any energy attackTargets can be protected from Diminutionby such Powers as Force Field vs.Energy, Resistance to Energy, TrueInvulnerability, certain Magics and PowerControls, and the simultaneous use of anopposing Enlargement Power. AtomicDispersal opposes Atomic Collapse,Atomic Gain opposes Atomic Reduction,and Atomic Growth opposes AtomicShrinkage. If the opponent lacks thematching form of Enlargement he canstill try to negate the effects of Diminutionwith whatever form he possesses; theresults can get a little weird, though.
The Nemeses are those Powersmentioned in the previous paragraph.
MC5/Disruption: The hero can destroya target's physical structure withoutresorting to a physical or overt energyattack. The molecular bonds that give atarget its solidity are directly Disrupted,with the result that the target collapsesinto dust, sand, liquid, or even vapor.The Material Strength of the targetdetermines what Intensity FEAT isrequired. For example, asphalt hasGood Material Strength andconsequently would require a GoodIntensity FEAT to destroy.
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The hero can Disrupt any target withinboth line-of-sight and range. The range isdetermined by the Power rank; distancesare shown on Column A of the RangeTable on the inside cover. The amount ofmatter the hero can Disrupt in a singleturn is the number of pounds equal to hisPower rank number. If the playerchooses when creating the character, hecan increase either range or amountaffected any number of +CS bydecreasing the other factor an equalnumber of -CS.
Example: an initial rank of Good canbe altered by up to 3CS and produceresults as varied as Feeble range(Contact only) and Incredible effect (40pounds) or Incredible range (11 areas)and Feeble effect (two pounds).
Also when creating the character, theplayer can choose whether to make theDisruption permanent or temporary.Choosing the temporary option raises thePower rank +1CS. The duration of theDisruption is determined by a separateReason FEAT made at the time thePower is used. A green FEAT gives aduration equal to 100 turns times theReason rank number. A yellow FEATincreases that to 10,000 turns time theReason rank number. A red FEAT makesthe Disruption permanent. At theexpiration of the duration, the Disruptedmatter reforms in its original shapealthough not necessarily in its originallocation. If the target is living, the Powerhas the peculiar;r effect of placing thetarget in a state of semi-SuspendedAnimation. All life function cease for theduration but the target somehow retainsconsciousness and awareness.
This Power is often incorporated intoweapons systems. A Disruptor Gun can bedesigned and built by a Reason rank andan expenditure of Resource points equalto the Power rank desired for the weapon.
Stationary, non-living, unprotectedtargets are automatically affected by thePower. Moving targets require the heroto make an Agility FEAT in order to hitthe target. Living targets are allowed toresist the Power in the same mannerthey could resist any energy attack.Targets can be protected from Disruptionby the use of such Powers as ForceField vs. Energy, Resistance to Energy,True Invulnerability, a combination ofCollection and Molding, certain Magics,
and certain Power Controls. Any of thesecan reduce the Intensity of the Disruptionby the opposing Power's rank. TheJudge is free to decide for himself theresults of partial protection fromDisruption.
The Nemeses are any of the Powersmentioned in the previous paragraph.
MC6/Enlargement: The hero canincrease the size of any target. Thetarget can be of any nature and must bewithin both line-of-sight and one area ofthe hero's location. Any material can beenlarged with one exception; the Powercannot affect any target that has alreadybeen Enlarged by another Power ofequal or greater rank. In such a case, thewould-be target is assumed to already beEnlarged past any point the hero couldhave Enlarged it to anyway.
The amount the hero can Enlarge atarget is determined by the Power rank.The levels to which the hero can Enlargea target are shown below:
Resultant size
Rank
FE
PRTYGDEXRMIN
AMMNUNXYZ
CL1000CL3000CL5000
(x original size)
1.5X
2X3X4X6X8X10X12X15X20X50X100X200X500X1,000X10,000X
form has a different set of innateproperties. When creating the character,the player must decide which form thehero has. The player can either selectone or let the dice randomly determine itfor him.
Die Roll Form
01-3031-6061-00
Atomic DispersalAtomic GrowthAtomic Gain
The duration of the Enlargement isdetermined by a Reason FEAT made atthe time the Power is used. A greenFEAT gives the Enlargement a durationof 100 turns times the hero's Reasonrank number. A yellow FEAT increasesthat to 10,000 turns times the Reasonnumber. A red FEAT makes theEnlargement permanent.
There are three different mechanismsby which Enlargement can occur. Each
Atomic Dispersal—The Power causesthe spaces between the atoms andsubatomic particles to increase, thusincreasing overall size. Mass remains thesame despite any increase in size,causing the target's density to drop.Material Strength decreases -1CS witheach doubling in size. Eventually, at ShiftX Enlargement a solid target reaches astage where it is less dense than air andcan drift off. At Class 1000 rank andbeyond, the target becomes effectivelyintangible to contact with normal matter.Atomic Gain—The Power causes thetarget to gain additional atoms. Theseare automatically incorporated into thetarget to duplicate and augment existingmolecular structures. As the targets gainsnew atoms, the size and mass of thetarget increase proportionally.
Where do the new atoms come from?There are three possibilities. One theoryholds that Molecular Creation createsthem from the hero's force of will. Asecond theory suggests Molecular andElemental Conversion are responsible;the new atoms are simply Converted airmolecules. The third explanation is thatthe hero somehow taps into anotherdimension, one that contains nothing butthe raw material for this Power and theMatter Creation Powers and alsoprovides a storage place for the matterdisplaced by Shrinking, Diminution, andDisintegration. This last idea could leadto a Plot Complication wherein the heroaccidentally draws something More thanraw material from that unknown dimen-sion. I'll leave it to you to decide whichexplanation you accept as the truth.
As the target expands, it gains realstrength sufficient to move its new mass.Real strength increases +1CS for each+2CS of Enlargement the target isexposed to.
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Example: The Power is used on anormal adult six feet in height, 200pounds in weight, and possessingTypical Strength.
EnlargementRank
FE
PRTYGDEXREIN
AMMNUNXYZ
CL1000CL3000CL5000
Weight
300 lb.
400 lb.600 lb800 lb.1200 lb.1600 lb.2000240030002 tons5 "10 "20 "50 "100"1000"
Strength/Max. Lift
TY/200 lb.
GD/400 lb.GD/600 lb.EX/800 lb.EX/1200RE/2000RE/4000IN/3 tonsIN/10 "AM/25 "AM/50 "MN/75 "MN/100 "UN/250"UN/500 "X/1000 "
The target's other Primary and Second-ary Abilities remain unaffected. Thedisadvantages of great size negate theadvantages. However, Health seems toincrease because physical attacks doless relative damage. For example, asingle bullet could kill a normal sizedperson but would be little more than ahigh-velocity grain of sand to a giant. Thedamage done by Physical Attacksdecreases -1CS for each +2CS ofEnlargement. Note: the damage thatdidn't affect the giant might be fatal whenhe reverts to normal size. Wounds shrinkbut bullets do not.Atomic Growth—The target's atoms andsubatomic particles actually increase insize, thus increasing the target's overallsize. Mass increases proportionally. Thetarget's Strength increases only enough tomatch his greater weight; Lifting Strengthdoes not increase. There is a dangerousdrawback to this form of Enlargement. Asthe target's atoms grow, they becomeunable to interact with normal atoms. Theresult is that the target is unable tobreathe, drink, or eat. Fortunately there isa 95% chance that the Power envelopsthe target in an energy field that enlargesany atoms within its effect to the samescale as the target. The existence of thisfield must be determined at the time thehero is created. If the field is not present,
the target must have a proportionally-sized supply of consumables or thisPower is considered a Fatal attack. Thelack of the field has one advantage in thatElectricity cannot flow between normal-sized and Enlarged conductors. ThePower thus provides rank levelResistance to Electricity.
It is always assumed that the herointends to Enlarge the entire target'sbody. If the hero intends to Enlarge aspecific area of a target, he must make aspecial effort to do so. Since this has theeffect of tearing the target apart, the heromust make a Power FEAT based on the
Material Strength of the target. Forexample, a brick wall has Good MaterialStrength. A hero with TypicalEnlargement would need to make a redFEAT to enlarge a specific section of thewall, while a hero with an Incredible rankwould only have to make a green FEAT.
The effects -on the entire target if onlya section of it is Enlarged vary by caseand by degree of Enlargement. The mostcommon result of a section of Enlargedmatter surrounded by normal matter isthat one of the two sections shattered,depending on which is the weakersection. Atomic Dispersal weakensMaterial Strength, Atomic Growth doesn'talter it, and Atomic Gain increases it.Judges should use this guide and theirimagination to decide the results ofspecific Enlargement.
The Power automatically affectsstationary, non-living, unprotectedtargets. Moving targets require the heroto make an Agility FEAT to hit. Livingtargets are allowed to Resist this Powerjust as they could any Energy Attack.Targets can be protected fromEnlargement by the use of such Powersas Force Field vs. Energy, Resistance toEnergy, True Invulnerability, CertainMagics and Power Controls, and any ofthe Shrinking or Diminution Powers usedsimultaneously to the Enlarging attack.The opposing forms of these areCollapse vs. Dispersal, Reduction vs.Gain, and Shrinkage vs. Growth. Onlythe matching form can completely protecta target from unwanted Enlargement;while the other two will apparently work,the final result can be a little weird ifextreme ranks of Power are employed.
The Nemeses are those Powersmentioned in the previous paragraph.
MC7/Geoforce: The hero can detect andcontrol geological forces. These includeplate movement, stress, faults, andvulcanism. This Power only applies tonatural rock and semi-natural materialssuch as concrete, cement, and asphalt.Radically altered material (steel, plastic)is not directly affected by the Power.
This Power has two ranges, both basedon the Power rank. The ability to detectforces and materials within the earth hasa range shown on Column C of the RangeTable on the inside cover. The ability toactually control those forces is morelimited and is determined on Column B.For example, a hero with RemarkableGeoforce can detect forces 12 milesdistant but can only control those forceswithin one mile of her location.
The Detection aspect of this Powerenables the hero to sense a variety ofearth-related things. These includeground temperature (green FEAT),general mineral composition (green),specific minerals (red), locate caves(green), locate beings moving within theearth (yellow), identify faultlines andstress points (yellow), and communicatewith beings made of rock (red).
The active aspect of this Powerenables the hero to accelerate, slow, oralter the direction of natural geologicalforces. The hero can affect platemovement; this can create Power ranktremors or reduce the intensity of existingtremors by the Power rank number. Thehero can accelerate erosion bydecreasing the Material Strength ofexposed rock. The flow of magma withinthe earth can be redirected to anywherethe hero wants an instant baby volcanoto erupt. By magnifying existing faultsand decreasing the rock's MaterialStrength, the hero can create openingsin the earth. These can be instant pits,valleys, caves, or tunnels.
The effects of the Power arepermanent alterations to the landscape.Baby volcanoes don't last very long,though, if the area didn't have a previoushistory of vulcanis,. For example, duringher tenure with the New Mutants, Magmahas created baby volcanoes in suchplaces as Rio de Janeiro's harbor, theliving room of Professor Xavier's mansion, and an apartment in Manhattan.Such freakish volcanoes immediately
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cool down once the Power is no longersupporting their existence; heat is lost ata rate of -1CS per hour. For example, thevolcano in the X-Mansion was coolenough to sit on by the time Professor Xcame home a few hours later. It isassumed that the cooling effect extendsall the way down back through theground to where the magma came fromin the first place; otherwise all these babyvol canoes would act as conduits forlater, normal vulcanism.
The amount of matter the Power caneffect is awesome. The Power can affecta maximum amount of rock equivalent toten tons for each point of the Power ranknumber. For example, Magma'sMonstrous Geoforce can affect 750 tons(1.5 million pounds!) at a range of up tosix miles.
The Power can be expanded into avariety of Power Stunts, such as inducedAvalanches and sculpting chambers inthe earth. The latter example is also away for the hero to make some moneyon the side by creating "secretunderground headquarters" oncommission. The giant caves that litterthe pages of comic books do not occur inreal life, people.
A curious use of the Power is tocommunicate with beings who arethemselves composed of natural rock.The Power provides the hero with aseismic equivalent of Telepathy. Suchbeings include Golems, EarthElementals, and planetary beings suchas Ego the Living Planet. Is Mother Earthalive in your campaign? If she is, thenthis Power will let your hero talk to her.
The Nemeses for this Power includeitself, Disintegration, and Phasing.
MC8/Matter Animation: The hero canalter the flow of any raw matter, impartmovement to stationary matter, andshape such matter into any desired form.The Power can only affect matter that isin a relatively natural state. It cannotaffect mechanical objects or material thatis now or had once been alive.
There are three basic forms of thisPower, each with dominion over a stateof matter. When creating the hero, theplayer must choose one of these formsfor the character. He can do this himselfor let the dice choose for him.
Die Roll Form
01-2021-5051-00
Air AnimationLiquid AnimationSolid Animation
Air Animation—The hero can directlycontrol the movement of gases andvapors and indirectly control themovement of material suspended in theair, such as smoke, dust, steam, and soon. He can create winds of speeds equalto Power rank speed (see the Airspeedtable on the inside cover). He can controlthe actions or air, wind, clouds, andpotentially even the weather. The herocan use air either defensively oroffensively by forming shields or gales ofPower rank strength. Note: Air attackscannot penetrate Force Fields or anaerial shield of higher Intensity. ThePower can be developed into PowerStunts such as Gliding, Whirlwind Flight,and limited Weather Control. The formsof Weather Control available to the heroall depend on stirring up the air. Theseinclude bringing in storms, fog,tornadoes, and suddenly bringing two airmasses of differing temperature togetherto form either fog or lightning.Liquid Animation—The hero can directlycontrol the movement of liquids andindirectly control material suspended inliquid (mud, cake batter). He can createcurrents and waves that can travel atPower rank speed (see the Water Traveltable on the inside cover) and do Powerrank damage to anything in their path.Liquid can animated to resist gravity andact as if it were temporarily a solid of ranklevel Material Strength. Liquids can beused as a shield that reduces theIntensity of Energy Attacks by the Powerrank number. It can be further refined intoa variety of Power Stunts, such asforming propulsion systems or beingshaped into air bubbles with "solid" floors.Solid Animation—The hero can alter thecondition of solid matter, so long as it isnot biological or mechanical in nature.He can give the solid movement,reshape to any form, and even give it thesemblance of life. Solids can travel atPower rank speed (see the Land Traveltable inside the cover) either across theground or through the air. The hero canMold the solid into any single mass.Solids retain their Material Strength but
can be Animated to do Power rankdamage to other targets. The hero cancreate Golems or simulated Elementalsthat obey his every whim; such creationsare only sophisticated puppets thatpossess no more life than does amarionette. (Of course, there is theexample of Pinocchio) Animated solidspossess a Lifting Strength equal to thePower rank. The Power can be refinedinto a variety of Power Stunts, such asturning an opponent's weapon againsthim, creating self-tying knots, andcreating flying platforms that can carrythe hero across the ground or throughthe air.
The range at which the hero canAnimate Matter is determined by thePower rank; distances are shown onColumn B of the Range Table. Themaximum amount that can be Animatedis a mass weighing the equivalent of1000 pounds times the Power ranknumber. For example, a Feeble rank canmove one ton; in liquid terms this is theweight of a water bed. Matter remainsAnimated as long as the heroconcentrates on using this Power.Judges are free to develop their owncriteria to determine how well and howlong a hero can do this in a givensituation.
Any material can be Animated, as longas it is within the restrictions on thechosen form of that Power. Any reshapingdone to the target is permanent; ofcourse, this only applies to solids. Thepossibilities for both construction andvandalism are immense.
At the time the hero is created, theplayer has the option of raising thePower rank +1CS by further specializingthe Power's range of effect to a specificcompound or type of matter. Examples ofspecializations include Powers thatspecifically Animate steam, water, oil, ice,clay, and so on.
The Nemeses for this Power includeitself and Disintegration.
MC/Machine Animation: The hero cancontrol the movement of anythingmechanical. It is as if the hero were acombination remote-control panel andpower source. The machines can onlyperform those functions for which theywere designed. While under the influenceof the Power, the affected machines can
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function even in the absence of a normalpower supply, such as would be providedby an electric cord, wound spring, orminiature nuclear generator. The onlynew function the hero can give a machineis limited ground movement. AffectedMachines can travel at -2CS Power rankspeed by sliding or rocking along theground; see the Surface Movement tableinside the cover. If the machine alreadyincorporates a means of propulsion(wheels, tracks, table legs), it can travelat Power rank speed; see ditto.
The Power can affect any singlemachine within range of the Power;Column B of the Range Table gives theappropriate limits. If the hero attempts tocontrol several machines simultaneously,the Range decreases -1CS for eachadditional Machine the hero iscontrolling. For example, a hero withGood Machine Animation can control asingle machine 10 areas away, twomachines 5 areas away, three machineswithin his area, or four machines if he istouching all of them at once (aninteresting Agility FEAT, I suppose).
The Power is primarily intended tocontrol normally non-sentient devices,which are considered to have a Psyche ofzero. If the hero tries to gain control of aRobot or the mechanical part of aCyborg, greater effort is needed. Itbecomes a contest of wills, as the hero'sPower tries to overcome the target'sPsyche. The Psyche in question is eitherthat of the Robotic brain or the living mindof a Cyborg; if the Cyborg incorporatesboth living and mechanical minds, onlythe Psyche of the mechanical mind isused to determine the difficulty of theFEAT. The latter determines whatIntensity FEAT is required.
Example: A Poor rank of MachineAnimation could seize control of aDreadnought's Feeble Psyche with agreen FEAT and Ultron-11's Poor Psychewith a yellow FEAT, but couldn't begin totouch Jocasta's Good Psyche.Attempting to wrest control of the IronMan armor would require a red FEAT ifeither Tony Stark or Jim Rhodes werewearing it at the time but wouldautomatically succeed if the armor were,say, hanging in a closet somewhere. Toprotect against such interference, HighTechnology types would need to developcircuitry that would give the equivalent of
a desired Psyche rank to the machine.Optional Powers include Commun-
ication with Cybernetics, Communicationwith Non-Living Matter (limited tomachines only), and Matter Animation.
MC10/Micro-Environment: The herocan alter his immediate surroundings tocreate a miniature climate aroundhimself. The Micro-Environment alwayscontains fresh clean air (or water ormethane or whatever the hero breathes)at any temperature and pressure thehero desires. The Micro-Environmentincorporates a Force Field that protects itfrom any factor that might harm or evenannoy the hero, such as rain, poisonousgases, extreme temperatures, or thepressure that naturally results fromhaving three miles of ocean over yourhead. In such cases, the Micro-Environment automatically excludespotentially hazardous gases and liquidsand reduces the Intensity of pressure,extreme temperature, and high gravity bythe Power rank number. Lesser or equalIntensities are canceled out, while higherranks only penetrate in diminished form.
The Power automatically Collects thedesired materials into a sphere aroundthe hero; if no such materials areavailable, the Power employs an innateform of Matter Creation or Conversion toproduce those materials. The Force Fieldmaintains the desired pressure,temperature, and gravity levels whileenclosing the desired materials andshielding the hero from the undesiredones. If the hero requires a surface tostand on but none is available, the Powerprovides one by solidifying a section ofthe Force Field.
The Power is primarily intended toprotect the hero when he is in placesother than his home environment. It can,be used to protect him from extremevariations in that home environmentthough, should the hero so choose.Thus the Power can be used to protectthe hero in the middle of a house fire,gas leak at a fertilizer plant, radiationspill at a laboratory, a thunderstorm, ora smog alert in Los Angeles. The Powercan be used to Resist the effects of Airor Water Animation, Weather Control,Heat, or Cold Generation; the Intensityof the attack is reduced by the Powerrank number.
The Micro-Environment has a maximumradius in-feet equal to the Power ranknumber. Normally it is a sphere centeredin the hero but she can shape it or direct itto another location if she so desires. Themaximum range at which the hero candirect the MicroEnvironment is determinedby the Power rank; appropriate distancesare shown on Column B on the RangeTable. The maximum volume of the Micro-Environment is the equivalent of a spherewhose radius equals the Power ranknumber. Figuring out the maximumvolume of other shapes requires a doing abit of geometry.
Example: A rank of Good can producea sphere of 3.14(10-cubed) or 3,140cubic feet. This can be shaped into arectangular "tunnel" 10 feet high, 10 feetwide, and 31 feet long. I suggest thatanyone with this Power figure out assoon as possible how big a sphere/hemisphere/column/tunnel/cone/etceterahe can make with his Power rank. If youdon't, the Judge is liable to say thatmysterious changes in the. environmentprevent your hero's Power from working.
The Power only protects the hero fromenvironmental effects or Powers thatemploy aspects of the Environment.Beside the Powers mentioned earlier, thisPower will also provide limited protectionagainst Electrical Control, ElectricalGeneration, Coldshaping, GravityManipulation, Hard Radiation and itsControl, Thermal Control, Plague Carrier,Geoforce, Spray, and Pheromones, butonly if the offending Power originatesoutside the Micro-Environment.
As hinted at before, the Power can beused to create any environment the herodesires, provided it is beneficial towhatever nature of being is inside itsprotection. Of course, what is amarvelous climate for one being could beinstantly fatal to another. Consider theMicroEnvironments created by beingsthat thrive on super-heated steam orswim in liquid helium. Player charactersare limited to producing only thoseMicroEnvironments that will help thebeings inside. Villainous and Mind-Controlled NPC heroes are able topervert the Power and create toxicMicroEnvironments. In such a case, thePower is treated as an attack and theintended victim is urged to Resist it inany way he can.
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The Nemeses are either Air or LiquidAnimation, depending on the nature ofthe Micro-Environment.
MC11/Molding: The hero can shape anysolid material into any desired shape.The shaped material retains its originalchemical nature. If the target is living, itsinternal anatomy is rearranged in such away that permits life to continue withoutloss of Health. The new shape can be ofany complexity; even intricate machinescan be created if the proper materials areavailable. The newly-Molded target canbe Animated, even if the original materialor the current shape is normallyincapable of movement. This movementis accomplished by the simple act ofcontinually re-Molding the target (think ofit in terms of stop-motion animation).
Molded targets retain their basicMaterial Strength. New shapes may alterthe load-bearing capacity of the material.For example, a arch can bear greaterweight than a plane and a honeycomb isabout the strongest shape there is. Usingthe Power destructively is easy; using itconstructively is harder and requires theplayer to have some knowledge of basicEngineering.
The maximum range at which the herocan Mold a target is determined by thePower rank. Appropriate distances are.shown on Column A of the Range Table.The amount of material the hero canMold is a mass weighing 100 poundstimes the Power rank number. Whencreating the hero, the player has theoption of raising either range or amountaffected by lowering the other factor anequal amount. For example, aRemarkable rank can Mold 3,000 poundsof material at a range of 8 areas. Eitherfactor can be altered by as much as 5CSand produce results as varied as Feeblerange (contact)/Shift X effect (15,000 lb.)to Shift X range (80 areas)/Feeble effect(200 lb.). The player has the furtheroption of raising the Power rank +1CS byspecializing in Molding a particular typeof matter, such as wood, metal, stone,and so on. This option is not available ifthe hero also possesses any of theElemental or Molecular Conversion orCreation Powers.
The complexity of the intended designdetermines what Reason FEAT is needed.Simple, single-component designs require
a green Reason FEAT. Complex ormultiple-component designs require ayellow FEAT. Extremely complex designs(anything from a clock on up) requires ared FEAT and probably a set of blueprints.Exactly duplicating an existing object alsorequires a red Reason FEAT. The Powercan function for as long as the hero canconcentrate. Any failed rolls whileattempting a FEAT mean that while thePower has begun to Mold the target, thereis a problem because "something doesn'tlook quite right."
Molding automatically affects anystationary, non-living, unprotectedmaterial. Moving targets require the heroto make an Agility FEAT to hit. Livingtargets are allowed to Resist this Powerin the same way they would try to Resistany Energy Attack. As mentioned earlier,living targets can be affected but notdirectly slain by this Power. A target canbe protected from being Molded by theuse of such Powers as Force Field vs.Energy, Resistance to Energy, TrueInvulnerability, certain Magics and PowerControls, temporary Conversion to aliquid or gaseous state, or an equal orhigher rank of Molding. The simultaneoususe of a protective Molding Power tocounteract an offensive one bycontinually re-Molding the target into itsoriginal shape would look positivelypsychedelic as the target of both Molderscontinually rippled and wavered).
The Power can be used quite profitablyto outfit either heroes or villains with allthe arcane and exotic equipment theyneed. After all, Quinjets, body armor, andnuclear pogo-sticks aren't exactly off-theshelf purchases. Clever use of thisPower could raise the hero's Resourcelevel anywhere from +1CS to +4CS; theJudge and player will have to work thisout for themselves. ("Okay Jeff, inyesterday's game you remodeled the HQof Dr. Octopus. Today you try to collectwhat he owes you.")
Optional Powers include Elementaland Molecular Conversion, Collection,and Crystallization.
Nemeses include Force Field andMolding.
MC12/Weather Control: The hero hascomplete control over the weather. Hecan sense those factors in the air thatcreate weather and alter any aspect of
them at his desire. Any of these factorscan produce both physical andpsychological effects on humans.
He can control temperature by raisingor lowering the air a maximum number ofdegrees equal to his Power rank number.For example, an Incredible rank canchange a comfortable 70 degrees into awintry 30 degrees or a sweltering 100degrees.
He can increase or decreasewindspeed by a number of miles perhour equal to his Power rank number.For example, an Excellent rank can stopa 20-mph wind, slow a 50-mph gale to30mph, or turn still air into a 20-mphwind. Gale winds of 40-mph or higherbegin to make travel difficult. Wholegales of 55 to 72 mph begin to dowidespread damage. Winds above 72mph reach hurricane strength. Above 200mph the wind becomes a tornado.
Wind direction can be changed up to60 degrees by a green Power FEAT, upto 120 degrees by a yellow FEAT, andcompletely reversed 180 degrees by ared FEAT. For example, changing a coolnorthern wind to an east wind is achange of 90 degrees, a yellow FEAT.
Humidity can be increased ordecreased a maximum percentage equalto the Power rank number. Note: themaximum humidity is 100%. Apparentlyhumidity has some effect on humanbehavior and health. As humidityapproaches 80% or higher, peoplebecome more sluggish and irritable,especially if the air temperature is also80 degrees or higher.
If the air has any moisture at all, thehero can Collect it into any type of cloud,whether Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, acommon Fog, or any other type. He canform Nimbostratus clouds that continuallydisgorge moisture in the form of rain,hail, sleet,-or snow, depending on the airtemperature and wind direction. Rainfallper hour can reach a maximum numberof inches equal to the Power ranknumber. If the precipitation falls as snow,the snowfall depth is equal to six inchesfor each inch of rainfall (since snowflakespack less densely than rain). The Powercan form Cumulonimbus clouds intothunderheads that deliver lightning aswell as rain. The hero can control theemission and direction of lightning,producing bolts that do rank damage.
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The area of weather over which the herohas control is a circle (a vertical cylinderactually) with the Weather Controller at thecenter. The diameter and height of thiscylinder is determined by the Power rank.Appropriate distances are shown onColumn C of the Range Table. Forexample, when she possessed her fullAmazing Weather Control, Storm couldcontrol the weather over a fifty-mile widearea. Note: While the atmosphere iscomposed of four layers and is a fewhundred miles deep, only the bottomlayers of the troposphere and stratospherereally affect the surface weather. Beyondtwenty miles in height, the Power isreduced to a negligible effect.
The duration of the effect the Powerhas over the weather varies. The herohas a limited amount of time each dayshe can actively Control the weather.The maximum length of time is thenumber of minutes equal to the hero'sHealth. Each minute spent using thisPower temporarily costs the hero onepoint. Note: this does not decrease thehero's actual Health; instead it decreasesa "dummy account" set up for thepurposes of the player's bookkeeping.The account is replenished at the start ofeach new day. Returning to the exampleof Storm, her Amazing rank enabled herto actively control the weather fiftyminutes each day. Furthermore, theeffect the Power has over the weatherdoes not instantly vanish when the herorests. The changes the hero madecontinue for a while before things returnto their original state. Lingering effectslast an amount of time equal to the timespent actively controlling the Weather.The Intensity rank of the lingeringWeather slowly decreases; the averageIntensity rank is half that of the Powerrank. For example, if Storm spent tenminutes operating a thunderstorm, thatstorm would last an additional tenminutes and produce Excellent rainfalland lightning while it slowly dissipated.
As mentioned briefly, the hero candetect any aspect of the Weather that hecan control. A green FEAT enables thehero to know the local wind's speed anddirection, humidity, temperature, thechance for precipitation, and the nextday's weather forecast. A yellow FEATenables the hero to detect these thinganywhere within her Power's range and
thus figure out the weather forecast forthe next two days. A red FEAT enablesthe hero to make three-day weatherforecasts and more importantly detectthe cause and location of any change inthe weather, such as distant disturbancesor the use of this Power by otherselsewhere. For example, with a yellowFEAT the hero senses a mass of hot airtwenty-three miles away. A red FEATenables her to detect the cause as a fireraging in New Rochelle.
A peculiar use of the Power involvesgaseous beings such as Air Elementals.The hero can create puppets of airwhose actions simulate the behavior ofAir Elementals. The hero can directlycombat real Air Elementals with thePower doing rank damage to theopponent's Health. Imagine this as avaporous equivalent of a Slugfest.Finally, the Power can serve as a meansto communicate with gaseous beings. Inthis case the Power acts as anequivalent to Telepathy.
Optional Powers include Environment-al Awareness and either True Flight,Whirlwind, or Gliding.
Nemeses include itself and Phasing,since Weather cannot affect a phantom.
MC13/Zombie Animation: This is amacabre Power that is definitely more athome in the horror genre than in theheroic genre. The hero, um well, thecharacter with this Power can Animateany previously living body. Normally, thePower is used to Animate relatively intactcadavers, since these are capable of agreater variety of actions. Part of thePower is used to halt the process ofdecay and to maintain the structuralintegrity of the remaining body parts. Still,Zombies look awful, even the fresh ones.
This Power is not BiophysicalControl/Revival. The Zombies are notalive. They lack the essential lifeforce thatis the core of each living being. TheZombies are at best mindless slaves, atworst grotesque marionettes who shuffleon the end of the Zombie Master's strings.
The condition of a Zombie can rangefrom freshly deceased to skeletal. Thelatter type of Zombie is little more than awalking skeleton, though being mostlybone it is cleaner than a still-fleshedZombie. The Zombie does not have tohave all its body parts. In fact, the Power
can be used to Animate detached limbsor partial remains. These have their usestoo. For example, if a character'sPhysical Type is either Cyborg orCompound/Undead and he possessesthis Power, perhaps some of his bodyparts are Animated bones grafted ontohis still living sections. (I told you this is agrotesque Power)
Zombies possess Physical Abilities thatare -3CS Power rank. Mental Abilities areZero-shift. A Zombie's "Health" is thesame as the Zombie Animator's Powerrank. Karma is non-existent andPopularity is as low as the scale goes.
Most Zombies were originally humanbut there is nothing to prevent yourAnimator from creating Zombies of otherspecies. Since Zombies probably can'tswim or fly worth a darn, the Animator isbest choosing land-based species forhis experiments. Possibilities includeUndead wolves, tigers, elephants, andso on.
The Zombie Animator Can create asingle Zombie in a process whoseminimum time gets shorter as the Powerrank gets higher. It comes in two stages,Preparation and Activation. The requiredPreparation time is the number of roundsequal to 101 minus the Power ranknumber. For example, a Good rank canprepare a Zombie for Animation in 91turns, a Monstrous rank can do it 4n 26turns, and any rank -higher thanUnearthly doesn't need any Preparationtime at all. The next step is Activation. Allthis requires is a successful red PowerFEAT. Failure requires the Animator toPrepare for another minute. It is possible,if however unlikely, for a character tohave this Power and never, ever be ableto successfully Animate a Zombie. That'sone of the mysteries of random chance.
Once he creates a Zombie, theAnimator retains control over it until it isdestroyed, returned to life, or stolenaway by a higher ranked UndeadController. An Animator can create aninfinite supply of Zombies but can onlyretain direct control of a number of themequal to his Psyche rank number. Forexample, an Animator with an ExcellentPsyche can control up to twenty Zombiessimultaneously. Any Zombies over thatnumber are in effect free agents who canact independently. Such free Zombiesnever attack their Animator though.
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MATTER CONVERSION
Curiously, some Zombies retain someof their Resources and Contacts. This isan extremely rare occurrence and is onlypossible if the Zombie is in a near-perfectcondition (albeit of course dead) and ifthe late person's death was not widelyknown. In such a case, a clever ZombieAnimator can make the Zombie pretendto still be alive. For example, NekraAnimated the corpse of the Grim Reaperso well that the risen Zombie actuallybelieved he was alive.
Zombies are immune to attacks basedon Psionics or other Mental Powers,Disease, poisons, Pheromones, HardRadiation, and Sonics. They cannot seeIllusions. They have Power rankResistance to most of the Lifeform ControlPowers; the Power rank that created themdecreases such Powers by that number.The exception is Undead Control, withwhich a green FEAT can permit control ofany independent Zombie.
Some aspect of the original mindremains. Zombies possess rudimentarymemories of their previous existence. AZombies is also linked to the Spirit thatonce dwelled within it and can be usedas a tool to Communicate with, Summon,and Control that Spirit. The use of aZombie in this way increases the otherPowers' rank +1CS. It is possible returnthe Spirit to its now-Zombie body by useof the Forced Reincarnation. Althoughthis does not return the body to actuallife, it does weld the spirit and bodytogether so well that only the totaldestruction of the body will free the spiritagain. Such a Spirited Zombiepossesses his original Mental Abilitiesand can work at restoring the otherAbilities to their original levels.
The effect of Bio-Physical Control on aZombie is peculiar. Zombies don'tactually Heal since that is a function ofliving organisms. Any attempt to Heal aZombie actually kills it by negating theAnimation. Only Revival will truly returnthe Zombie to life, as it negates theAnimation, cures any damage or decay,and draws the spirit back home. Note: ifthe Spirit is now Reincarnatedelsewhere, this action creates a personwith a newborn's mind and spirit.
Okay, so why would anyone want toAnimate Zombies, particularly so-calledheroes? The popular misconception isthat Zombies are inherently evil. This is
not true. Zombies are only a reflection oftheir Animator's personality. A currentlypopular fantasy series features agoodwilled if misunderstood characterwhose sole Magical Power is ZombieAnimation. He uses them as servantsand if necessary soldiers. He even usedthe Power on himself in order to wait outthe centuries until his fiancee couldreturn to life. Your character will have hisown justifications and uses for thisPower. The key thing, as always, to useyour imagination and not be afraid toexperiment. Be afraid of yourexperiment's results instead.
Optional Powers include Extradimen-sional Detection (limited to detectingspirit realms), Forced Reincarnation,Summoning (Spirits only), UndeadControl, and Communication with Non-living Matter.
The Nemeses for this Power includeExorcism, Healing, and Undead Control.
Matter Conversion Powers
MCo1/Coloration: The hero has total
control over the coloration and colortransmitting abilities of any targetsubstance, whether solid. liquid, orgaseous. That's all, folks.
Okay, this seems like the prime numberone Wimp Power of all time. Wrong, ohye of little faith; read on and I'll tell youhow dangerous this Power can be it iswhen possessed by a clever hero.
This Power enables the hero to alterbasic physics and the chemicalproperties of any target. The Poweroperates in either of these two modes. Inthe first mode, the hero can consciouslyalter the frequency and intensity of lightitself. He can change any frequency toany other frequency, including infrared,the visible spectrum, and ultraviolet. Likea prism, the Power can split apart whitelight into a rainbow or re-combine backinto white. He can lower the intensity oflight to create normal darkness, even inthe midst of brilliant fight, though theseshadows lack the opacity of thosecreated by Shadowcasting. In gameterms, consider this a -2CS form of bothShadowcasting and Shadowshaping.
Different frequencies of light havedifferent properties. By altering thefrequency of light, the hero can alter these
properties. Infrared light causes objects toheat up. By converting normal light toinfrared, the hero can cause a -2CS formof Heat Emission. Conversely, byconverting Infrared light, the hero canprevent radiant heating; treat this as a -2CS Force Field vs. Heat. Ultraviolet lightcauses changes in pigmentation; effectscan vary from the tanning of normalhuman skin to the rapid fading of printedmaterial. It is also the key tophotosynthesis. If the light is in a coherentform, like a laser beam, the effects ofcolor become more dramatic. Red laserscarry more heat and do greater damagefor the Intensity. Blue-green lasers canpass unhindered through water. Again,change the frequency of light and youchange its effects.
The second operating mode for thePower is altering the physical colorationof the target material. The color of aobject can have great importance both tothe fickle aesthetic tastes of humans andto the impartiality of Moms Nature.Coloration determines the type andamount of energy that is either reflectedor absorbed by the material in question.White and silvery surfaces reflect all light.Dark colors and black absorb all light.There is the matter of transparency. Aperfectly clear substance lets light passthrough. Examples include air, glass, andthe lens in a human eye. Change thedegree of transparency and you stop lightfrom traveling though. A character withthis Power can stop anything in its tracksif the target depends on vision to find itsway around. Conversely, the Power canmake an opaque target transparent. Usesfor this vary from humane throughmischievous to outright criminal. Ahumane use is curing those types ofblindness that result from the loss of theeye's natural transparency. A mischievoususe is turning someone's clothingtransparent. A criminal use is turning con-cealing barriers transparent if the char-acter is seeking information behind thatbarrier; this can be anything from readingthe contents of an envelope or locked filecabinet to studying a lock's mechanismwhile cracking the combination.
Color conveys information. Change thecolor and you alter or even destroy themessage. Consider the effect changingcolor has on things as varied as comicbooks, paintings, photographic film, traffic
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lights, feathers, furs, and human skin.Take the last one, for example. Thereason why people get so freaked out bythe Hulk is not his size or berserkrampages but that he is bright green!Give the Hulk a normal tan and he couldwork in Hollywood. On a more prosaiclevel, the ability to change the color ofprinted or written material can be haveimmense consequences in anInformation Age society such as our own.The possibilities include both vandalismand creation.
When using this Power, the hero mustmake a Reason FEAT to determine howfine his degree of control is. A greenFEAT permits him to change all of atarget to a single color; think of the targetgetting a paint can dumped on it. AYellow FEAT enables him to change thetarget to several colors. The effect is thesame as being caught by a bunch ofnear-sighted graffiti artists, each with adifferent can of spray paint. A Red FEATgives the hero fine control and the abilityto alter tiny areas in specific ways; thinkof a talented artist with a very smallbrush. When the hero is covering anarea, he only affects the exposed surfaceof any targets. For example, Colorizing aclosed book would not harm the printedpages; Colorizing a cow purple wouldn'tchange the color of a steak later on. Asfor the question of affecting the eyes of aliving target, the Judge and playersshould assume that the Power onlyaffects the layer of tears that protect theeye. In effect, the target is momentarilyblinded by colored water that quicklywashes away. Eyes are such a smalltarget that the character must make aspecific red FEAT to do so. Note: thisbending of the rules does not apply tothe lenses of artificial eyes; cameras androbots are on their own.
This Power does not actually changethe physical nature of a target.Elemental, molecular, and geneticstructures remain unchanged exceptwhere Light is concerned. A steel safemade glass-like is still as strong as ever.A pane of glass given a steel-like surfaceshatters just as before.
The duration of the Power varies. Thenormal limit is 1 -100 hours after theColoration occurs. The hero canimmediately reverse any Coloration if hechooses. Sometimes the hero wants an
act of Coloration to be permanent, suchas when he tries to cure an old man'scataracts. In that case, a red PowerFEAT does the trick.
Optional Powers include Light Control.Nemesis Powers are Radar or Sonar.
MCo2/Combustion: The hero has theability to transform any target intocombustible material. Once this Powerhas been used, spontaneous combustionoccurs within 1 -10 turns after. Only thesurface layer of matter is converted bythis Power. As such, the flames only last10-20 turns since the combustiblematerial is quickly burned away. The totalamount of damage done by this is equalto Power rank Intensity.
Example: Rusty Collins, a student of XFactor, has Monstrous Combustion buthas not yet achieved full control over it.At present, when he is excited, he caninflict up to Incredible Intensity damageon a target. When his Power firstappeared, his accidental target was awoman who subsequently sufferedsevere burns.
The range for the Power is determinedon Column A of the Range Table on theinside cover. The maximum amount oftarget area the hero can initially affect isthe number of square feet equal to hisPower rank times ten. For example, whenhe is fully trained in the use of his Power,Rusty Collins will be able to ignite an areaof 750 square feet at a distance of 40areas (1 mile) away. The Power onlyaffects the surface of a target that is insight of the hero. Using the Power againsta gasoline tank would only burn theoutside of the tank and any gasoline thathad already leaked through bad joints inthe tank walls. If the damage weresufficient to rupture the tank or heat thegasoline inside to the combustion point,then the stored liquid could join the blaze.
The Power's effects begin to multiplywhen the power is used against targetsthat are already flammable or in theimmediate vicinity of flammable materials.Most of Mankind's manufactured itemsand buildings contain some percentage offlammable material. Even materials notknown for their combustible qualities, likeplaster, will burn if enough heat is applied.By taking this into consideration, the cleverhero can simply use his Power as thespark to start an apparently normal fire.
Combustion normally occurs only inthe presence of free oxygen. If there's nooxygen in the air or if there is no air,period, Combustion cannot take place.Using this Power on a target under sucha circumstance would have no immediateeffect on the target. While the Powerwould still convert some of the targetinto, flammable, volatile compounds,these would simply and harmlesslyevaporate; used under water, the Powerwould make bubbles suddenly appear onthe target. At Unearthly rank or higher,the hero gains the ability to transformsome of the target into free oxygen aswell as fuel, thus permitting the Powerthe Power to function in a vacuum orhostile environment.
If the target is affected by the Powerbut the flames are somehow preventedfrom occurring, the target will only remainpotentially flammable for 21 to 30 turnsafter the Power has had its initial effect.At any point during that time, the targetcan still burst into flame; after that haselapsed, the target is safe. Means thatcan prevent Combustion from occurringinclude Elemental and MolecularConversion, Fire Control, ThermalControl, Cold Generation, Force Field vs.Energy, and Resistance to Energy. Any ofthese Powers gives its possessor Powerrank Resistance to Combustion's effects.
Example: Rusty Collins is battling aSentinel. He uses his Monstrous Powerto set fire to the Sentinel's faceplate. TheSentinel reacts by spraying extinguishingfoam on itself. The foam has Unearthlyfire retardant qualities and prevents theCombustion-affected area from igniting.Unfortunately for the Sentinel, it onlylasts 25 turns after initial application. Asthe Sentinel grabs Rusty, his faceplatebelatedly but still spectacularly burstsinto flame.
Optional Powers include FireGeneration and Control.
Nemeses include Elemental andMolecular Conversion, Cold Generation,Fire Control, and Thermal Control.
MCo3/Disintegration: This is the everpopular but never explained "Disinte-grator Ray." The hero has the ability toconvert any matter into pure energy,usually Light although the player canspecify another resultant energy when hefirst creates the character. The energy
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dissipates harmlessly and does not affectanyone in the vicinity.
This Power can affect any target withinrange and line-of-sight. The range isdetermined by Power rank; resultingdistances are shown on Column A of theRange Table. The maximum amount ofmatter that can be disintegrated in asingle turn is the number of cubic feetequal to the Power rank number. Forexample, a Typical Disintegrator candestroy six cubic feet of matter at arange of two areas or 264 feet. Whencreating the character, the player canalter the Power range or effect if he sochooses. Either the range or the amountaffected can be increased any number ofColumn Shifts by decreasing the otherfactor an equal amount.
Example: Ken and Sue are bothcreating Disintegrators. Ken rolls 97 forhis Power rank, an awesome Amazingrank for both range and effect. Sue isn'tso lucky and rolls 77, a Good rank for herCyborg Character. Sue wants deadlierforce and chooses to after her range andeffect. She decreases her range toFeeble or Contact-only, a loss of -3CSthat she can apply to her effect. Thisincreases +3CS to an Incredible effect.
Unwilling targets of this Power areallowed to resist it in any way they can.Furthermore, the Disintegrator mustmake an Agility FEAT to aim this Poweron a target.
I mentioned the maximum area theDisintegrator can effect, but what of theminimum area? The Power comes inhandy for doing all sorts of fine-detailedwork like sculpting, surgery, or removingunwanted locks. The hero canDisintegrate as small an area as he canclearly see. With normal, unaided vision,the minimum limit is about 1/128th of aninch. Smaller than that and the heroneeds some kind of magnifying device orPower. Note: this limit is proportional to anormally-sized human of about six feet inheight. Enlarged or miniaturizedcharacters have a proportional limit. Forexample, a 36-foot-tall giant would havea minimum limit of 1/21 of an inch, whilea one-foot-tall person would have aminimum limit of 1/768th of an inch orabout the size of a cell.
As stated earlier, the target must bewithin line of sight since the Poweraffects the first thing it encounters,
excluding air molecules. Actually, someair is accidentally Disintegratedwhenever this Power is used-that's whythe Power appears as a glowing beamemitted by the hero-but not enough todivert the Power from its intended target.If an unseen or unanticipated barrier ispresent between the Disintegrator andthe target, that barrier takes the full bruntof the Power that turn.
Ken's hero, Starburst, sights aDreadnought and immediately tries toDisintegrate it. Unfortunately, Starburstfailed to notice the plate glass windowthe Dreadnought was behind. Thewindow vanishes in a flash of prettylights as the Dreadnought ducks aroundthe corner.
This Power is frequently given, toweapons systems such as the everpopular Disintegrator Pistols that fill pulpSciFi. In terms of normal contemporaryEarth technology, a Disintegrator raygunrequires Incredible Reason and PhysicsTalent to design and an Amazing cost inResource points to build. The Judge isfree to decide the range and effect ofsuch a weapon.
Nemeses for Disintegration arePhasing (to protect the hero) andIonization (to protect others) as thePower cannot affect intangible matter.
MCo4/Elemental Conversion: The herocan convert any matter into a specificelement. The matter to be converted canbe any one element or a combination ofelements. The resulting element can beany of the hundred-odd natural, artificial,and mythical elements. Natural elementsare those numbered 1 (Hydrogen) to 92(Uranium) on the Periodic Table; theserequire a green FEAT to create. Artificialelements are those numbering higherthan 92 and do not naturally occur onEarth outside of man's experiments; suchelements include Neptunium, Plutonium,and the like. A yellow FEAT is required tocreate these. Mythical elements includeVibranium and any other imaginaryelement the Judge decides to add to thiscategory; a red FEAT is required tocreate these. Note: it has never beenestablished whether Vibranium is anelement or a compound; Judges aretherefore instructed to decide whichcategory Adamantium fits into in theJudge's campaign.
The hero can alter a finite amount ofmatter per turn. The maximum amountper turn is the number of pounds equalto the Power rank number. The amountof matter weighs the same in its originaland transformed states. If the heroconverts matter into denser elements,the volume decreases. Converting matterto lighter elements increases the volume.For example, one cubic foot of leadweighs the same as 17.5 cubic feet ofcarbon. Just exploiting this little fact oflife can lead the hero to develop a varietyof Power Stunts. For example, the heromight cause a sudden vacuum in a roomby converting all air to a dense solid, likebismuth.
Normally, when matter is converted bythis Power, it retains its new nature perm-anently or at least until a reverse trans-formation is forced on it at a later date.
At the time the hero is created, theplayer has an option of increasing hisPower rank by making the Power's effecttemporary. The hero can gain +1CS byreducing the duration of histransformations to the number of turnsequal to his Reason rank number. Forexample, a hero with Good Reason andPoor Elemental Conversion can convertfour pounds of material that reverts to itsoriginal state in ten hours.
The normal form of this Power is fatalif used on a living target. Tissuetransformed by the Power suffersinstantaneous death. If the hero choosesthe option of temporary effect, the Powerhas a different effect on living tissue. Theaffected area enters SuspendedAnimation until it reverts to its originalstate. This can also be developed into avariety of Power Stunts. Of course, ifonly part of the living target istransformed, the rest of the body stillsuffers the shock of having part of itselftransformed into nonliving elements.
The minimum amount of matter thatcan be transformed is limited only bythe hero's sight. If the hero can see it,he can transform it. The practical limitfor unaided human vision is 1/128th ofan inch.
Lest you think your hero is going toretire to Brazil and spend the rest of hisdays turning weeds to gold, let me warnyou about the drawbacks. Each pound ofmatter the hero converts temporarilycosts him a point of Health. This is
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automatically regained, after 24 hours.On the business side, there is thequestion of selling the raw elements.Gold, platinum, and other rare, valuableelements are kept strictly accounted forby a variety of governmental andbusiness organizations. If your heromakes a habit of coming up with largeamounts of bullion, someone is going tobegin to notice. That someone could beanyone from a relatively benign IRSagent come to audit your hero's accountsto a sinister agent of the Gold Cartelcome to shut down the new competitor(i.e., kill your hero). About the only choiceyour hero has is selling small amounts tolocal precious metals dealers. Going thisroute can raise your hero's Resourcerank +3CS; any more than that andsomebody will notice and take action.
The range at which the Power canoperate is determined by the Power rank.Distances are shown on column A of theRange Table. When creating the hero,the player can choose the option ofincreasing either the amount affected orthe range by decreasing the other factoran equal amount.
For example, a Typical rank canconvert six pounds of matter at adistance of two areas. Either factor canbe modified a maximum of 2CS. Oneway produces a hero who has Feebleeffect (two pounds) but Excellent range(6 areas). Going the opposite routeproduces a hero with Excellent effect (20pounds) but Feeble range (contact only).
Stationary, non-living, unprotectedtargets are automatically affected.Moving targets require an Agility FEAT bythe hero to hit the target. Living targetsare allowed to Resist this Power just asthey could any other attack. Protectionsagainst this Power include Force Fieldvs. Energy Attack, Resistance to EnergyAttack, True Invulnerability, variousMagics, and various Power Controls. Anyof these completely protect against alesser ranked Elemental Conversion andhave a limited affect against equal orgreater ranks. The Judge is free todecide the results of partial protectionagainst this Power.
Optional Powers include MatterAnimation and Molding.
The Nemeses include Force Field vs.Energy, Resistance to Energy, and TrueInvulnerability.
MCo5/Ionization: The hero has theability to change the state of energy in atarget. This can have a variety of effectson the target. A target can be electrifiedby this Power; the target's atoms beginto change into electrically-chargedparticles. The initial effect this has is tocharge the target with static electricity.Next the target actually emits Electricityat -1CS Intensity. At this point the targetwill itself suffer an equal amount ofdamage, provided it is electricallygrounded in some way. Finally, thecharged atoms begin to fly off in anionized cloud. Nonliving targets can bedestroyed in this manner as themolecular bonds break down. Used thisway, the Power does damage equal to -2CS Disintegration.
Okay, what about beneficial uses forthis Power? Well, electricity isn't the onlyenergy the hero can charge a target withwhen he uses this Power. The hero canexcite the atoms sufficiently to createwarmth; this is treated as a -2CS form ofHeat. More interestingly, the hero cancharge atoms in such a way that he canmake them temporarily ethereal. A targetthus affected can Phase through solidmatter as easily as someone already inpossession of that Power. This comes inhandy when the hero is trying to protecta target from any of the MatterConversion Powers. He can use thisPower to Phase something threatened bythe other Power or made threateningbecause of it.
The range at which Ionization can occurand its duration are determined by thePower rank. Range is shown on Column Aon the Range Table. Duration is amaximum number of rounds equal to thePower rank number. For example, aFeeble rank can charge a target withinreach for two turns. The amount ofmaterial affected is generally limited to aman-sized continuous mass. If the target isa specific area of a much larger mass, theIonization will directly affect only the man-sized area, although the rest of the masscan experience secondary effects basedon whatever the hero is trying to do.
For example, The Shocker has toIonize a safe in which some people aretrapped. He plans to try to Disintegrate asection of the safe large enough topermit fresh air to enter. There is adanger of electrocution to those trapped
within, so Shocker tells them to stand onsomething that can insulate them fromthe metal walls and floor. They hurriedlycover themselves with stacks of $100bills. Outside, Shocker summons hisPower. The safe is a 15-foot cube withwalls two feet thick. Selecting a sectionof the safe's wall with no essentialmechanisms inside, he begins. He has aIncredible rank. In the first turn, staticelectricity crackles in the air; inside thesafe, loose bills stand on end. In thesecond turn, electricity of RemarkableIntensity begins to be generated by theaffected area. The safe's lock shorts outas the electricity flows throughout themetal sections of the safe; inside thesafe the air begins to smell of ozone. Inthe third turn, Disintegration of ExcellentIntensity begins to occur. Shocker isbathed in a cloud that resembles afluorescent lamp without the tube. Thesafe walls are constructed of reinforcedconcrete and steel, giving it Remarkablematerial strength. For Shocker toexecute any meaningful Disintegration,he needs to make a red FEAT based onthe diminished Disintegration rank,rather than his normal Ionization rank.Shocker's player needs to roll a 95 orhigher to burn through the safe. It takeshim 11 turns or over a minute to finallyaccomplish the deed. Hours later itoccurred to The Shocker that he couldsimply have used his Power to makepart of the safe temporarily out-of-Phasewith the rest of the world. Had he donethat, those trapped inside could simplyhave walked through the temporarilyethereal wall.
The Nemesis Power is EnergySponge.
MCo6/Molecular Conversion: The herocan transform any material into a desiredcompound. This Power is an enhancedversion of Elemental Conversion.Whereas that Power could only create asingle specified element, this Power cancreate a number of elementssimultaneously and arrange them in adesired molecular configuration. Thematter to be converted can be composedof any element, compound, orcombination thereof. The elements thatresult can be any of the hundred-oddnatural, artificial, and mythical elements.The compounds they form can likewise
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MATTER CREATION
be real or mythical. An example of afictional compound is the alloyAdamantium, a steel alloy that onlyexists in the Marvel Universe. Mythicalcompounds or compounds thatincorporate a mythical element (likeVibranium) require a red FEAT to create.Note: it has never been establishedwhether Vibranium is an element or acompound; while I choose to refer toVibranium as an element, Judges arefree to decide for themselves whether itis an element or a compound in theircampaign. Most other compoundsrequire either a green or yellow FEAT tocreate. The more complex a compound'sformula is, the harder it is to create. As arule of thumb, a compound whosemolecules incorporate from two to twentyatoms can be created by a green FEAT.A compound with molecules of fromtwenty-one to one hundred atoms, oralloys of various compounds, requires ayellow FEAT; examples includehydrocarbons. More complex moleculesor alloys require a red FEAT; examplesinclude polymers, proteins, and othercompounds essential to life. Obviously,playing this Power requires knowledge ofbasic chemistry. At the least the playermust have a crib sheet filled with varioususeful compounds and their formulas.
The hero can after a finite amount ofmatter each turn. The mass limit is thenumber of pounds equal to the Powerrank number. The amount of matterconverted weighs the same either beforeor after Conversion. The heavier theresulting compound, the smaller itsvolume. Conversely, the lighter thecompound, the more volume it has. Thissimple fact can be exploited as a varietyof Power Stunts. For example, a fist-sized rock can be transformed into aroomful of the mixture of gases wehumans consume as air.
The maximum range at which thePower can affect a target is determinedby the Power rank; distances are shownon column A of the Range Table. At thetime the hero is created, the player hasthe option of increasing either thePower's range or amount affected bydecreasing the remaining factor an equalamount. For example, an Amazing rankcan Convert 50 pounds at a range of 20areas. Either factor can be modified byup to 7CS. This can produce such
extreme combinations as Feeble range(Contact only) and CL3000 effect (3000pounds per turn) or CL3000 range(10,000 miles) and Feeble effect (twopounds).
The player also has the option ofincreasing the Power +1CS by making itseffect temporary. Normally, Conversionsare permanent or at least remain until areverse Conversion occurs. If the playerchooses the temporary option, theConversion only lasts a maximumnumber of turns equal to the hero'sReason rank number. While permanentConversions may be fatal to living targets(it depends on what was Converted andwhat the result was), the temporary formhas the side-effect of placing the targetarea into a form of Suspended Animationuntil the Conversion wears off. Of course,the Conversion can have severe, evenfatal, effects on the rest of the livingtarget if the entire body is not Converted.
The target must be in line of sight ofthe hero for the Conversion to occur. ThePower can function even if a normal,transparent barrier such as glassseparates the hero and the target.
The minimum amount of material thatcan be affected by the Power is limitedonly by the hero's eyesight. In practicalterms, the smallest size a Normal Humancan see is 1/128th of an inch. Below thatrequires the use of something toenhance the hero's vision.
Stationary, non-living, unprotectedtargets are automatically affected by thisPower. Moving targets require an AgilityFEAT in order for the hero to hit thetarget. Living targets are allowed to resistMolecular Conversion just as they wouldany Energy Attack. Targets can beprotected from being effected by thisPower through the use of other Powersincluding Force Field vs. Energy,Resistance to Energy, TrueInvulnerability, various Magics, andvarious Power Controls. Such Powerswill completely protect against a lesser orequal rank Molecular Conversion andoffer partial protection against higherranks. The Judge is free to decide theresults of partial protection.
Optional Powers include MatterAnimation and Molding.
Nemeses include Force Field vs.Energy, Resistance to Energy, and TrueInvulnerability.
Matter Creation Powers
MCr1/Artifact Creation: The hero can
create a desired object from virtuallynothing. The artifact can be of anysubstance, and is limited to beingcomposed of a single piece. Although thePower can create facsimiles of morecomplex construction, close examinationreveals that all the smaller pieces arefused together. However, the hero cancreate complex items by forming themone piece at a time.The hero can create in one turn anumber of ounces equal to his Powerrank number. The durability of the artifactis determined at the time of creation. Agreen FEAT gives the artifact a lifespanof the number of turns equal to the hero'sReason rank number times 100. A yellowFEAT raises it to 10,000 times theReason rank number. A red FEAT makesthe artifact permanent.Each ounce of created matter temporarilycosts the hero one Health point. Thehero can regain all his lost Health pointsafter 24 hours. Thus, the hero can onlycreate a number of ounces in a singleday equal to his Health point total.The hero must have detailed knowledgeof the design of whatever he wants tocreate. He can only store a finite numberof designs in his mind at any one time.The limit for this Power is equal to hisReason rank number. The player mustkeep a record of which items the heroknows how to create. The list can bechanged at any time. A green ReasonFEAT gains the hero a new design. If nomemory slots are available, the newdesign replaces an old one. ("That'sokay; how many more Dr. Doom maskswas I going to need, anyway?")Editor's Note: Matter Creation Powersthat create specific items (as opposed toraw matter) bring with them a specifiednumber of memory slots, usually equal tothe hero's Reason rank number. If a heroshould have two of these specific MatterCreation Powers, he would then havetwice the number of memory slots (equalto his Reason rank number times twoonce for each Power).Normally the Power is used to createfacsimiles of objects that already exist.These can be directly studied by the heroas he memorizes their designs. Thistakes at least ten minutes before
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attempting the FEAT. Failure requiresanother ten minutes of study, andanother attempt. As you can guess, theirhero might never be able to mastercertain designs.The hero can also create new designsbased solely on his own imagination.Since this requires really intenseconcentration, a red Reason FEAT isneeded to store this design.The artifact has the same properties as anormally manufactured item of its type. Inthe case of altered or imaginary designs,the player and the Judge should agreeon reasonable statistics for the item inquestion.The hero can materialize the artifact atany site within one area. The artifact isinitially stationary; you can't launch anartifact as you can a missile or a spray.The hero can take advantage of gravity,though, by materializing the artifact uphillor over a target.Now that you've read all the rules so far,I'll give you the one exception to theweight limit. When creating the character,the player can choose to specialize increating a single copy of one specificitem, like a suit of armor or a costume. Inthis case, the weight limit is raised fromone ounce per Health point to one poundper Health point. Red FEATs are treatedas yellow FEATs.This Power includes versions ofElemental and Molecular Creation. Each-element and compound takes up amemory slot, just like the daggers andshields that are already cluttering thehero's mind. Such raw matter can beformed in any shape, though. Thispermits the hero to change thecomposition of any of his already-memorized designs. For example, if healready has memorized a knife designand the nature of silver, he can makeeither a steel knife (like the one hememorized) or one made of silver.The hero can create facsimiles of livingmatter, but such facsimiles are notthemselves capable of living. He canmake a dead chicken, but not a live one;however, the one he makes will taste justas good. Being able to create corpseversions of yourself could be extremelyhandy, especially for villains out toconfound the law.Optional Powers include a form of MatterAnimation that is limited to matter
created by the hero, and Hyper-Intelligence.The Nemesis Powers are Disintegrationand Mental Domination, especiallyinduced Amnesia.
MCr2/Elemental Creation: The hero cancreate pure elements from virtuallynothing. The hero can create any desiredelement in any shape or at any locationwithin one area.The hero can create in a single turn anumber of ounces equal to his Powerrank number. For example, a heropossessing this Power at Amazing rankcould create 50 ounces per turn. Thedurability of the newly created matter isdetermined at the time of creation. Agreen FEAT gives the element a lifespanof 100 turns times the hero's Reasonrank number. A yellow FEAT increasesthat to 10,000 turns times the Reasonrank number. A Red FEAT means it ispermanent.Example: Synthos needs some quickcash and tries to create gold he can sell.His Power is Excellent (20) but hisReason is only Typical (6). He rolls a 73(a yellow FEAT) and manages to create20 ounces of 24K gold that willdisintegrate in 60,000 turns (about 4days). He hurries to the local gold bulliondealer. Unfortunately, the dealer waswarned about Synthos. He will acceptthe gold on the condition that he can waitone week before turning over payment.Each ounce the hero creates temporarilyrobs him of one Health point. The herocan recover any Health lost in this wayafter a 24-hour period, including eighthours of sleep. He must get his full restto recover his Power; this saves theJudge and player from quibbling overfractions regained by naps and so on. (ifyou like to quibble, though, then goahead and use partial recovery.) Thusthe hero can only create a number ofounces equal to his Health.Example: Synthos needs that moneynow! He slinks into an alley and tries itagain. A yellow FEAT results in 20 moreounces of unstable-gold. Realizing he'snear his limit, he makes a final try tocreate nine more ounces. He succeedswith a red FEAT. A very pale Synthostrudges off to find a pawnshop. The herocan use this Power as an attack by tryingto materialize new elements on a chosen
target. The target can dodge the attack; ifsuccessful, the materialization occurs inthe target's former location. The targetmust be in line of sight and not protectedby any barriers. For example, Synthossees an old foe and tries to give him afaceful of coal dust. He didn't notice thathis foe was behind an extremely clearpane of glass. Synthos splatters coaldust all over his side of the window.Various Power stunts include:
• Dropping freshly-made weights on atarget. Setting targets on fire bymaterializing self-igniting elements likesodium and phosphorus. Rendering atarget unconscious by flooding thearea with nitrogen that displacesoxygen.
• Short-circuiting electrical devices byforming copper in their interiors.
• Knocking targets off their feet bycovering the ground with silicon.
• Breaking open a lock by forming ironinside it (assuming there is a way intothe lock).
• Increasing a fire's Intensity by creatingfresh oxygen for it to consume.
• Resisting gaseous attacks orpreventing suffocation by surroundinghimself in oxygen.
Optional Powers include Matter Ani-mation (any single form) and MechanicalAnimation. Nemeses include Disintegrationand Matter Animation (all forms).
MCr3/Lifeform Creation: The hero cancreate living matter and even completebio-organisms from virtually nothing. Thenew life can be of any nature, although itcan only possess Powers that areintrinsic to its physical structure. The sizeof the new lifeform is limited by itsweight. The hero can create in a singleturn a maximum number of ounces equalto his Power rank number. Since thelifeform cannot be assembled in severalpieces, but rather must be done all atonce, this limits how large the creation is.It can grow, though, if it has the time.The lifespan of this new creation isdetermined at its genesis. A green FEATgives it a lifespan of 100 turns times thehero's Reason rank number. A yellowFEAT increases that to 10,000 times thenumber. On a red FEAT, the lifeform ispermanent.
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Each ounce of created life costs the heroone Health point. All points lost in thisway are automatically regained after 24hours. In a single day, the hero can onlycreate lifeforms whose total weight doesnot exceed his Health.The hero must have detailed knowledgeof any organism he wants to create. Hecan only store a limited number oforganic designs within his memory. Thetotal number of memory slots availablefor this Power is equal to his Reasonrank number. The player must keep arecord of the organisms he can create.The list can be changes at any time. Agreen Reason FEAT gains the hero anew design. If there are no availablememory slots, an old design is discardedto make room for the new one.Normally the Power is used to createfacsimiles of existing organisms. Thehero must make a detailed study of theoriginal for at least one hour beforeattempting a FEAT to memorize it. Afailure means the hero must study theorganism for another hour beforeattempting another FEAT. Withsufficiently bad luck, the hero may neverbe able to memorize certain lifeformsOne note: This Power includes a mixtureof Detection Powers that permit the heroto study a lifeform down to its atomiclevel without having to do anythingharmful to that lifeform (like dissect it).The hero can create new lifeforms basedsolely on his imagination and basicknowledge of anatomy and physiology.This requires an active imagination,intense concentration, and a red FEAT tomemorize a viable design.The newly born lifeform has the samecharacteristics as a normally bornlifeform of its type. In the case of alteredor imaginary creations, the player andJudge should agree on a reasonable setof statistics for the being in question.This Power also includes versions ofElemental and Molecular Creation. Thiscan be used to create raw biologicalmaterials or foodstuffs; examples includesugar, blood, protoplasm, and so on.Each material takes up a memory slot.The hero can materialize his creation atany site within one area. The new life isinitially stationary but can immediatelybegin to move under its own power. Likethe rest of the Matter Creation Powers,this Power is stopped by the first barrier
between the hero and the site of hisintended target. So, no, people-you can'thave your hero inject nasty germsdirectly into his opponent.As stated before, this Power can createliving replicas of actual beings. Theminds of such beings are not as complexas the original, and lack most of theoriginal's memories and all Powers thatare not strictly Physical in nature. Forgame purposes, new life has thefollowing statistics:
FightingAgilityStrengthEnduranceReasonIntuitionPsycheHealthKarmaResourcesPopularity
-1CS-1CSno shiftno shiftPoorPoorno shiftno shiftzerozerono shift
Only physical Powers are duplicated.Talents' are lost as are Contacts, unlessthe Contact seeks out the duplicate.
New life can learn, if it lives longenough. It can even raise its abilities andgain simulations of other Powers theoriginal possesses. The Judge should sethis own standards, based on what typeof beastie the hero has come up with.
Here comes the exception to all that'sbeen written here so far. When creatingthe hero, the player can opt to specializein creating one unique being, like aPegasus or a She-Hulk of the hero's veryown. (No more trouble getting dates forthis guy) In that case, the weight limitis raised from one ounce per Health pointto one pound per Health point. RedFEATs are treated as yellow FEATs, thusthe hero is required to periodicallyrecreate his chosen companion. Such acontinually created being retains itsmemory from creation to creation andcan learn and develop just like anynormal lifeform. Any damage suffered bythis being disappears when it issummoned anew. If slain, the beingimmediately disintegrates and itsstatistics (when it is summoned again)drop to their original levels. The heroshould also incur a hefty Karma loss if hewas directly responsible for hiscompanion's death.
If the hero possesses other Powers,the player can assign them to whateverlifeforms the hero can summon. This isan interesting possibility for creatingunique characters, especially ifSpecialization is chosen.
Optional Powers include forms ofTelepathy, Mental Domination, AnimalControl, and Plant Control, all limited tolifeforms created by the hero.
These same Powers are also theNemeses.
MCr4/Mechanical Creation: The herocan create complex mechanical devicesfrom virtually nothing. The newly createdmachine originally forms in one mass,then separates into its components.The size of the machine is limited to itsweight. The hero can only create in oneturn a maximum number of ounces equalto his Power rank number. Heaviermachines have to be assembled inseveral turns. The durability of themachine is determined at the time of itscreation. A green FEAT gives themachine a lifespan of 100 turns times thehero's Reason rank number. A yellowFEAT increases that to 10,000 times therank number. A red FEAT means themachine is permane nt.Each ounce of created matter temporarilycosts the hero one point of Health. Allpoints lost in this way are regained after24 hours. Thus the hero can only createin a single day a number of ounces equalto his Health.The hero must have detailed knowledgeof anything he wants to create. He canonly store a limited number of de-' signsin his memory. The total number ofmemory slots available for this Power isequal to his Reason rank number. Theplayer must keep a record of the designsthe hero can create. The list can bechanged at any time. A green ReasonFEAT gains the hero a new design; if nomemory slots are available, an olddesign is tossed away to make room forthe new one. Normally the Power is usedto create facsimiles of existing machines.The hero must make a detailed study ofthe machine for at least 10 minutes foreach attempted FEAT. Failure to make aFEAT means another 10 minutes ofstudy is required. Some items may bebeyond -,he hero's comprehension. if theplayer is really bad at rolling the dice.
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The hero can also create new designsbased solely on his imagination andknowledge of mechanical engineering.As this requires really intenseconcentration, a red FEAT is required tostore such designs.The newly-created machine has thesame properties as a normallymanufactured machine of its type. In thecase of altered or imaginary designs, theplayer and Judge should agree onreasonable statistics for the item inquestion.This Power includes versions ofElemental and Molecular Creation. Eachelement or compound takes up its ownmemory slot, just like the padlocks andpistols that already clutter the hero'smind. Such raw matter can be formedinto any shape, though. This permits thehero to change the composition of any ofhis already-memorized designs. Forexample, if he has already memorized acassette player's design and the natureof platinum, he can create either anormal plastic-cased player or a platinumcoated one.The hero can materialize the machine atany site within one area. The machine isinitially stationary but if it is self-powered,it can immediately begin to move on itsown. The hero can also drop themachine on a target, but that is a realwaste of material, people.The Power cannot create actual livingbeings. If the -hero is trying to create afacsimile of a living being, the best hecan do is a robotic replica, complete withsimulated flesh. Internal examinationimmediately reveals gears and pulleys.The Power can create potentially sentientmachines, such as a miniature copy of aSentinel. Such a facsimile lacks thedetailed programming of the original andmust be programmed before it canfunction. This also applies to anymicrochip dependent device, such as acomputer.Just like MCr1/Matter Creation, there isan exception to the rules stated thus far.When creating the character, the playercan choose to specialize in creating asingle copy of a specific design' like ahomemade Iron Man suit or a mini jet. Inthis case, the weight limit is raised fromone ounce per Health point to one poundper Health point. Red FEATs are treatedthe same as Yellow FEATs. Optional
Powers include a form of MechanicalAnimation limited to those machinescreated by the hero, Hyper Intelligence,and Hyper-Invention. Nemesis Powersinclude Mechanical Animation, andMental Domination (es pecially inducedAmnesia).
MCr5/Missile Creation: The hero canspontaneously create and launchprojectiles. These are propelled to Powerrank range. Missiles that simply slam intoa target act as Stunning Missiles andinflict Stunning attacks of Power rankIntensity. If the hero has other Powers,these are combined with this Power toproduce missiles with specific effects.
• Nullifier—The Missile Power iscombined with Power Control/Negationto produce missiles that inflict no directdamage but may nullify inborn ortechnological Powers with Power rankIntensity. Sleep Darts-the Power iscombined with Induced Sleep to createanesthetic darts.
• Magnetic—The Power combines withMagnetism to produce missiles withPower rank Intensity Magnetism.These can do Power rank damage tomagnetic recordings or delicateelectronics, and can attract any iron inthe target site (guns, for example).
• Ghostcasters—The Power is combinedwith Illusion-casting to create missilesthat emit a static hologram upon hittingthe target site.
• Vanishers—The Power is combinedwith Induced Teleportation to createmissiles that teleport the target to apredetermined destination.
• Energizer—Missiles are combined withPower Transference to give the targetpart of the hero's other Powers.
Any Power in this book can be combinedwith this Power to create unique missilesfor your character. When creating thecharacter, the player should follow thisguideline: If there is a way to combineexternal Powers with this Power, do it.Powers that are completely internal intheir effects are exempted from this. Thisincludes most of the Mental and PhysicalEnhancements and all of the SelfAlterations and Detection Powers.If the character is High Tech, has rolledsuch Powers as Hyper-Invention or
Weapons Tinkering, or possesses amagical device, then the Missile Powersshould be combined into a devicepossessed by the hero. This may be anexotic gun, a wand, or any other bit ofsuperheroic paraphernalia the player canimagine.The hero has a finite ammo supply, evenif he creates the missiles as he goes.The maximum number of Missiles thehero can create per hour is equal to thePower rank number. This prevents thecliché found in bad Westerns, whereby alone cowboy holds off the entire Apachenation with a single sixshooter. This limitalso applies to Technological versions ofthis Power, in that thegun/wand/whatever simply overheatsfrom repeated use.There are two Nemeses for this Power. Ifthe Power is innate to the hero,Reflection stops it. If the Power isexternalized in a weapon, InducedTeleportation works by removing theweapon from the hero's possession andgiving it to the opponent.
MCr6/Molecular Creation: This is amore powerful form of ElementalCreation. The hero can form severalelements simultaneously and form theminto any desired compound. The herocan form this on any target within onearea. He can create in one turn anumber of ounces equal to his Powerrank number. For example, at Poor rankhe could form only four ounces in oneturn. The durability of the newly createdcompound is determined by a FEAT atthe time of creation. A green FEAT givesthe material a span of a number of turnsequal to 100 times the hero's Reasonrank number. A yellow FEAT raises themultiplier to 10,000, and on a red FEATthe material is permanent.Each ounce the hero creates temporarilycosts him one point of Health. The herocan regain Health points lost in this wayafter a 24-hour period including eighthours of sleep. Thus, the hero can createonly a number of ounces per day equalto his total Health points.Example: Synthos is visiting a primitiveculture and decides to give them a gift ofuseful bronze. His Power is Excellent(20) and his Reason is Typical (6), buthis Health is only 50. On his first try, hemakes only a green FEAT. That batch of
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20 ounces disintegrates in 600 turns (1hour). He tries again, making a yellowFEAT this time. That's not much better;the batch of 20 ounces disintegrates infour days. His honor on the line, Synthostries again. He succeeds with a redFEAT. However, his depleted Health onlypermitted him to create 10 ounces ofbronze. Synthos is unaware of this,having passed out from the strain.The hero can use this Power as anattack by trying to form the new materialon a chosen target. Such targets can tryto dodge. If they succeed, the materialforms in their previous position. The heromust be in line of sight of the target. Hecannot form material within a target'sinterior or through any barrier betweenhimself and the target. Synthos, forexample, could not form plastic explosivewithin a Sentinel, unless someone left aninspection hatch open where Synthoscould see it.In order to fully play this Power, theplayer needs to know some basicchemistry, especially the physicalproperties of various compounds. Thehero can develop Power stunts such as:
• Negating a foe's Energy EmissionPower by forming a barrier ofinsulating material around the target'sEmission point.
• Breaking open a door by materializingstrong compounds within the crackbetween the door and the frame.
• Forming weights in the air above atarget's head.
• Healing others by creating medicines;their effects last even after thecompounds disintegrate.
• Creating electricity by forming thecompounds found in batteries.
• Creating unliving simulations of livingbeings. These have no cell structure,however, and are only incrediblyrealistic wax dummies.
• Performing temporary repairs onequipment.
This Power includes the ability to formsingle elements as in ElementalCreation. This is an innate (not a Bonus)Power. Optional Powers include MatterAnimation in any single form andMechanical Animation. The NemesisPowers are Disintegration and MatterAnimation (all forms, simultaneously).
MCr7/Spray: The hero can spontaneouslycreate a directed cloud of gas, mist, or dust.The Spray has a range of up to one area. Ithas the basic properties of doing Feebledamage by choking off the target's fresh airand reducing visibility by -2CS for anyonewithin the cloud. The main purpose of Sprayis combining it with other Powers, therebyproducing unique Spray Powers for thehero. In all these cases, the range remainsthe same. Other factors, such as the natureand Intensity of effects, are determined bythe Power that has been combined withSpray. Some possibilities include:
• Hallucinogenic: The Spray is combinedwith Image Generation to produce vividvisual images in the target's mind;these, of course, have nothing to dowith reality. The target's Fighting andIntuition drop -3CS.
• Corrosion-proofing: The Spraycombines with Catalytic Control tolessen corrosive attacks' Intensity bythis Power rank number.
• Insulation: The Spray combines withany Energy Control to produce acoating that protects any target fromthat form of Energy Emission. Theinsulation reduces the energy attack'sIntensity rank by the Energy Control'srank number.
• Healing Spray: This uses any of themore pleasant forms of Bio-PhysicalControl to produce a cloud that healsanyone in the target area who hastaken damage up to -1CS.
• Napalm: The Spray is combined withFire Generation and does Power rankdamage.
• Freeze Cloud: The Spray combineswith Cold Emission to do Power rankdamage.
• Shrink Dust: The Spray combines withDiminution to reduce the size ofanything in the target area.
• Booster Dust: The Spray combineswith Power Control/Magnification toraise the Power ranks of everyone inthe target area +1CS.
Any Power in the Ultimate Powers Bookcan be combined with this Power tocreate unique Sprays for each character.When creating such characters, theplayer should follow this simple guideline:If you can figure out a way to combineexternalized Powers with this one, do it.
Powers that are completely internalizedare exempt from this rule. This includesmost of the Mental and PhysicalEnhancements and all of the SelfAlterations and Detections.
If a character. is High Tech, has rolledsuch Powers as Hyper-Invention orWeapons Tinkering, or possesses amagical device, then the Spray Powershould be incorporated into a device.This may be a gas gun, ring, horn, or anyother piece of superheroic paraphernaliathe player can imagine.
Example: The player rolls up thefollowing Fire Generation, ElementalConversion, Spontaneous Combustion,Spray, and Enchantment. She is aHumanoid, an Elf to be precise. Shedetermines she is a magical character.The first three Powers readily combinewith Spray. The player decides that theheroine possesses a magical flute whichshe built herself. Besides playing normaltunes, she knows three special melodiesthat create clouds which possess each ofthe first three Powers.
The hero has a finite amount of Spray.The maximum number of Sprays thehero can create in a 24-hour period isequal to his Power rank number. Thislimit also applies to Technological orMagical versions of this Power; thegasgun/flute/whatever simply clogs upfrom repeated use.
There are two Nemeses for this Power.If the Power is innate to the hero, thenReflection stops it. If the Power isexternalized in a device, InducedTeleportation works be removing thedevice from the hero's possession andturning it over to the Nemesis.
MCr8/Webcasting: The hero cangenerate and shot out a solid web. Theweb can hit any target within 100 feet andinstantly adhere to it. The Web has somebasic properties. It can ensnare anyonewithin the target site. It possesses Powerrank Strength upon hardening one roundafter being fired. It can be used to formswing-lines that enable the hero to travel3 areas per turn, and it makes shields ofMonstrous material strength.
Webcasting can be combined withother Powers to create unique Webs forother characters. In all these cases, therange remains the same. Othercharacteristics, such as the nature and
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MENTAL ENHANCEMENT
Intensity of the effects, are determinedby the Power that has been combinedwith Webcasting. Some possibilitiesinclude:
• Mind net: Telepathy combines with theWeb to form a telepathic link betweenthe hero and anyone within his Web.
• Dream net: Dreamtravel combines withthe Web to permit everyone within toshare a common dreamworld.
• Preserver: The Web places anyonewrapped within in SuspendedAnimation.
• Spirit Net: The Web is combined withSpirit Storage to trap any disembodiedspirits within.
• Protector: The Web combines with anyDefensive Field to protect any thingwithin the Web from a specific form ofattack.
• Metamorphic: The Web combines withInduced Shapechange to transformanyone within the Web into any shapethe hero desires.
• Cocoon: The Web possessesMicroEnvironment and provides a safehabitat for anyone within, despiteexternal conditions.
• Mummy Shroud: The Web combineswith Zombie Animation to make anycorpse wrapped up in it an Undead(great party gag, folks!).
• Glide Net: The hero can travel on thewinds by combining his Web andGliding Power.
• Network: The hero uses Sensory Linkto perceive the surroundings of anyweb he knows the location of. In effect,he turns any web into a two-waypicture phone.
Any Power in the UPB can be combinedwith Webcasting to produce unique.WebPowers for each character. Whencreating characters, the player shouldfollow this simple guideline: If you canfigure out a way to combine externalizedPowers with this one, do it. Powers thatare completely internalized are exemptfrom this rule. This includes most of theMental and Physical EnhancementPowers and all of the Self-Alterationsand Detections. If a character is Hi-Tech,has rolled such Powers as Hyper-Invention or Weapons Tinkering, orpossesses a magical device, then theWeb Powers should be incorporated into
a device. This can be a webshooter, reel,or any superheroic doohickey the playercan invent. The hero has a finite amountof Webbing he can produce. Themaximum number of times the hero canuse Webcasting in a 24-hour period isequal to his Power rank number. Thisalso applies to Technological or magicalversions of this Power; the devices clogup from overuse.
Webs created by this Power evaporateone hour after being cast.
The Nemesis for this Power is Phasing.
Mental Enhancement Powers
M1/Clairaudience: The hero can "hear"
distant sounds and voices despite anyintervening distance or barriers. ThePower is not hindered by factors thataffect normal sound transmission, suchas distance, time lag, muffling, distortion,or the absence of a transmitting medium.Because of this, Clairaudience hassuperior range over Hyper-Hearing. OnlyClairaudience enables the hero to hearacross a vacuum, for example.
Unfortunately, Clairaudience can act asa pipeline to direct another's Psionic orSonic attacks toward the hero. Because ofthis side-effect, the hero is -1CS to resistsuch attacks. These attacks need noteven be aimed at the hero but might stillaffect the hero if the other Power is beingused in the area the hero is spying upon.
Example: Captain Tympanic is usinghis Power to eavesdrop on bankrobbersplanning a heist. Unfortunately, Charmerappeared and used her Hypnotic VoicePower to capture the gang. Capt.Tympanic is caught in her spell as well.
The ranges for Clairaudience areshown on column E of the Range Table.When the Power operates, it overridesthe hero's natural hearing. Distantsounds are sensed at their originalvolume level. If the volume is too loudthe hero can reduce it with a greenFEAT. Faint sounds can be magnified bya yellow FEAT. The Power is normally avoluntary Power that musty besummoned. Sometimes it functionsautomatically; this can be the result ofimproper control, tampering by outsideforces, or be triggered by sudden,dramatic events occurring to someonewith whom the hero shares an
emotional rapport. ("That was Lewiscrying for help!")
When using the Power to eavesdropon another Clairaudient, that person mayautomatically sense the firstClairaudient's effort. This is determinedby the Judge making a secret red FEATbased on the second hero's Power rank.
The Optional Powers for this areHyper-hearing, Clairvoyance, andRemote Sensing.
The Nemesis for this is Force Field vs.Psionics.
M2/Clairvoyance: The hero can "see"distant sights without directly seeing itwith his eyes. The hero receives a visualsimulation of what he would see if hewere actually present at the scene. ThePower is not hindered by any of thefactors that affect normal lighttransmission, such as distance, blockage,obscurement, and time lag. It can beused to see things that are impossible fora telescope or Telescopic Vision. Forexample, a Monstrous Clairvoyant couldsee current conditions inside a sealedroom on the surface of Venus.
The ranges for this Power are shownon Column E of the Range Table. Whenin use, the Power overrides normalvision. Normally the Power is consciouslycontrolled. Sometimes it functionsautomatically. This can be the result ofimproper control, interference, or betriggered by sudden, dramatic eventsoccurring to someone who whom thehero shares an emotional rapport. ("Ohno, Billy Jo fell off the bridge!") ThePower can work against the hero ifunwanted visions obscure the hero'ssight or distract him at a crucial moment.For example, if Dr. Strange had a suddenflash while operating on a patient, amalpractice suit might be in order.
When the Power is used to spy onanother Clairvoyant, there is a possibilityof that person detecting the use of thePower. The Judge makes a discreet RedFEAT based on the observed character'sPower rank.
Clairvoyance can function as a pipelineto draw light-based and Psionic attackstoward the hero. Such attacks may evenaffect him if they were aimed atsomething else within the area he isspying upon. The hero has -1CSresistance to such attacks.
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Clairvoyance can be used inconjunction with other Powers toincrease the range at which thosePowers can affect a target.
Optional Powers include Clairaudienceand Remote Sensing.
The Nemesis is Force Field vs. Psionics.
M3/Communication With Animals: Thehero can understand and use thelanguages employed by animals andother non-sentient lifeforms. The Powercan be used to communicate with non-sentient alien creatures but not intelligentaliens. The degree of difference betweenthe hero and the animal determines whatcolor FEAT is required. Assuming thehero is human, a green FEAT permitscommunication with mammals. A yellowFEAT permits communication with birdsand reptiles. A red FEAT coverseverything else. If the hero has a differentphysical type, the player and Judge willhave to modify the FEATs accordingly.
The hero must be in communicationsrange of the animal for the Power towork. This varies from species tospecies. The basic rule is that themaximum range is the greatest distanceat which the hero and animal can senseeach other.
Optional Powers include Linguisticsand any of the Communication Powers.
The Nemesis is Neural Manipulation.
M4/Communication with Cybernetics:The hero can directly communicate withcomplex machines, whether these arecomputers or machines not normallyconsidered to have artificial intelligence.Any machine that possesses any kind ofprogramming can be communicated with-calculators, digital watches, microwaveovens, even music boxes. The higher therank, the simpler the machine that canbe spoken to. A green FEAT cancommunicate with a machine possessingseveral microchips; a computer is themost common example. A yellow FEATcommunicates with devices possessing asingle microchip, such as watches andtalking dolls. A red FEAT communicateswith machines that lack microchips butare still somehow programmed, likeplayer pianos and hand-cranked addingmachines. The nature and quality of theinformation received reflects the natureof the machine that is spoken to.
Communication occurs without the heroneeding to resort to programminglanguages and input devices such aspunchcards and keyboards. After all, if thehero did need them this wouldn't really bea super power. When using the Power,the hero transfers part of his intelligenceand Psyche to the machine, thus allowingit to respond to him. Unfortunately, sharinghis mind with machines on a regular basisleads the hero to identify a little tooclosely with machines.
The Optional Power is Linguistics.The Nemesis is Neural Manipulation.
M5/Communication with Non-livingMatter: This is a catchall name foranything not covered by the otherCommunication Powers (M3, M4, M6). Itwill enable the hero to communicate withanything that had once been eithersentient, cybernetic, or alive, as long asthe target lacks those qualities now. Thehero transfers part of his intelligence andPsyche to the target, thus permitting it torespond to him. The target can converse,provide information, and even have apersonality. The Power includes aninnate, unconscious use ofSpeechthrowing. Although the heroactually provides the voice, it appearsthat the target actually speaking.
When the Power is used to speak acorpse, it uses an unconscious,automatic form of Postcognition to createa simulation of the spirit that onceinhabited the body. The hero does notspeak with the actual spirit. This can leadto an odd situation in which the actualghost hears his own body speak as if hewere still in it. Unfortunately, the heromay develop a personality quirk thatblurs the distinction between life anddeath. As he can speak with both theliving and the dead, he might not be ableto see what the difference is. This can betaken to grotesque extremes, especiallyin a horrific campaign.
The Power can be used to pry into aperson's secrets by interrogating thatperson's possessions. For example,clothing will blithely recount the wearer'sactivities and a wall safe will proudly listall the things it is protecting. Note:Projectile weapons only remember whenthey were fired, not at whom.
Optional Powers includeCommunications with Cybernetics.
The Nemesis is Neural Manipulation.
M6/Communication with Plants: Thehero can speak with plants. Anything thathas a vegetable physiology can beaffected by this Power, such as grass,trees, and the Man-Thing. When using thePower, the hero imparts some of hisintelligence and Psyche to the plant tofacilitate communication. The greater thecomplexity of the plant, the easier it is tocommunicate with. A green FEAT com-municates with trees and localecosystems; in the latter, all the plantsspeak as if a chorus that only the hero canhear. A yellow FEAT communicates withshrubs, vines, and bushes. A red FEATcommunicates with simple plants andfungi; if the hero has Hyper-hearing, it canbe combined with this Power to permitcommunication with plankton and bacteria.Combining the Power with Sensory Linkenables the hero to share the experiencesof plants, even those on alien worlds if thelatter Power's rank is high enough.
A problem can develop if the herobegins to identify too closely with plants.He might find salads offensive. Worse,he may begin to suffer anguish whenplants are harmed in his presence.
Optional Powers includeCommunication with Animals,Communication with Non-living Matter,Plant Control, and Plant Growth.
The Nemesis is Neural Manipulation.
M7/Cosmic Awareness: The hero is intune with the entire scope of reality. Hepossesses a detached, omniscientviewpoint that allows him to explore theentire existence of a chosen subject.Unfortunately, this causes such amassive overload of superfluousinformation that the hero is hard pressedto sort it all out. The FEAT represents thehero's ability to recover a specific bit ofinformation from all the effluvia. Themore exact the required detail, the higherthe difficulty. Discovering basic facts orlocating any one on the Earth requires agreen FEAT. Complex information orfinding anyone within a star systemrequires a yellow FEAT. Secrets,weaknesses, arcane knowledge, andanything else the Judge wants to makedifficult to find out requires a red FEAT.
The Power can be used to auto-matically track any Class 1000 or higher
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Power within ten miles of the hero'sposition. In combat the Power raises thehero's own attacks +1CS by detectingthe weak points in the opponent.
The major drawback to this Power isthat can lead to insanity, especiallycatatonic withdrawal, as the hero'sPsyche is continually inundated by aflood of information. The Judge candetermine the chance of temporaryinsanity by secretly making a ReasonFEAT for the hero; a green, yellow, or redFEAT means the hero has retained allhis marbles for another day. The Judgeshould make this check any time thehero uses the Power more than fivetimes a day or a number equal to 10% ofthe Power rank number, whichever ishigher. Because of this, caution is urgedin the use of this Power. If the Power issomehow negated, the hero may also gointo a state of shock or severedepression. Any mental problems thehero suffers can be cured by normalpsychotherapy.
The Optional Power is Hyper-Intelligence.
The Nemesis is Emotion Control.
M8/Danger Sense: This is also calledCombat Sense and Spider-sense. It is acombination of automatically functioningPsionic Powers (Telepathy, Empathy, andPrecognition) that warns the hero aboutimpending danger. The advance warningtime is the number of seconds equal tothe Power rank number (rounded up tothe nearest turn if need be). For example,Spider-Man's Amazing rank can warn himof danger almost a minute in advance.
In a combat situation, the Power canbe used replace other, lower rankedAbilities. It can replace Intuition fordetermining surprise, Fighting forblocking, Agility for dodging, andStrength for escaping.
The minimum level for this Power mustbe equal to the -hero's Intuition. If it'sinitially lower, the player can raise it tothis level. The player can also raise itsrank +1CS by choosing to make it avoluntary rather than an automaticPower. That is, it only functions if thehero is making it function. Spiderman'sversion functions at all times, but yourhero might decide the risk of beingcaught off-guard is worth the reward ofthe higher rank.
The nature of the Power reduces thehero's resistance to Emotional attacks-1CS.
The Nemesis is Emotion Control.
M9/Dreamtravel: The hero can actuallyenter into the short-lived pocketdimensions created by a person'sdreams and nightmares. Thesedreamworlds are outside the boundariesof normal reality and exist solely as areflection of the dreamer's imagination.
The Dreamtraveler must be within tenfeet of the dreamer in order for thePower to function at full rank. The Powerrank decreases -1CS for each additional10 feet that separates the two.
The Dreamtraveler has no directcontrol over the conditions within thedreamworld. He can interact with thingswithin that world by performing "physical"actions much as he would in the realworld. Fighting, Agility, Strength, andEndurance are all represented by thisPower's rank. If the hero has otherPowers, these exist in equivalent formsthat possess this Power's rank instead oftheir own. The Dreamtraveler can sufferreal damage as a result of events thataffect him within the dreamworld. Hemight even die. The equivalent of thedamage appears in the hero's real body.
Normally the hero's real body retains itssolidity during Dreamtravel. The playercan raise the rank +1CS by making thehero's body dematerialize whenever thePower is used. In this case, if the hero isslain or trapped within the dreamworld,the body might never reappear.
Each dreamworld is unique to thespecific dreamer and retains noexistence except during the act ofdreaming. Dreamworlds are not thesame as the Dream Dimension, althoughit is possible they exist within the greaterDream Dimension. It is possible thatdreamworlds touch each other and mayeven overlap in the case of telepathicdreamers. If so, it is possible that theDreamtraveler can enter one dreamworldand exit one of someone else's.
The Optional Power is a form ofTelepathy limited to dreamers.
M10/Empathy: The hero can detectthe surface emotions of others. The herocan detect the target's emotional stateand further refine that knowledge to
discover the target's physical state,surroundings, and location, insofar asthese have an influence on the emotions.He can transmit his own emotional statebut he cannot impose this on others (thatrequires Emotion Control).
Empathy is extremely useful when thehero has to deal with non-sentient beingsor large numbers of people. It can readthe target's mood and support alreadyexisting emotions. The range can varywithin a single Power rank. Thedistances shown on column B of theRange Table refer to a single target.Each additional target reduces the range-1CS. Range never falls below Feeble,even if the hero is trying to read theemotions of a crowd. The Powerfunctions for as long as the heroconcentrates on using it. The hero cansend 'Empathic, messages by means ofa Power FEAT. The message is in theform of a burst of emotion accompaniedby a subtle identification of the Empath.A green FEAT transmits to a knownperson and location. A yellow FEATtransmits to a known person in anunknown location. A red FEAT is thePsionic equivalent of a generalannouncement. ("Did you feel that? Feltlike somebody was really scared Waita minute. That was Sender. He needsus!")
Optional Powers include Clairvoyanceand Emotion Control.
The Nemeses are Mental Invisibilityand either Force Field or Resistance toPsionics.
M11/Free Spirit: The hero's soul iscapable of independent existence in thereal world. The Free Spirit can leave thehero's body and travel independently; itis often mistaken for an Astral Body. TheFree Spirit can even survive the death ofthe physical body without being im-mediately drawn into an afterlife dimen-sion; this requires a red Power FEAT atthe time of death (more on this later).
Free Spirits possess all the MentalAbilities, Talents, and Powers of thewhole being. Health remains unchangedalthough now it is more of a measure ofhow well the Free Spirit can resistentering the appropriate afterlife.
If the Free Spirit is still in his originalbody, that body may either retain a shareof the overall consciousness when the
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spirit is away or the body may lapse intoa coma at these times. There an equalchance of either, although the playershould choose one at the time the herois created. If the original body is dead,the Free Spirit can develop bonds to oneor more new bodies, dwelling like atenant in each but tied to none. The FreeSpirit cannot Possess the body or in anyway hinder the real owner's abilities.They do share a telepathic bond thatextends into shared dreams. If the FreeSpirit possesses Powers that require aphysical form to use, he can lend theseto whatever body he is occupying.-Whenthis Power appears during the charactergeneration process, the player mustdecide whether the body the Free Spiritis occupying is his own or a loaner hepicked up along the way. In the lattercase, the player will then have togenerate two complete sets of statistics,those of the Free Spirit and the realowner of his current body.
Free Spirits can be created later on.Any character who dies in a campaignhas a chance to become one, even if hedid not possess this actual Power tobegin with. The transformation isaccomplished by making an UnearthlyPsyche FEAT and expending all thehero's Karma.
The Nemeses are Summoning andSpirit Storage.
M12/Hallucinations: The hero cancreate illusions directly within the target'smind. Such illusions are telepathic, notholographic, in nature. As such, theycannot be mechanically detected orrecorded except by devices that simulateTelepathy or human thought patterns(such as player character Robots).Hallucinations can only be seen by thetarget of this Power.
The ranges for this Power is shown oncolumn A of the Range Table. The targetmust be within sight of the hero, althoughthe hero can extend his sight and thushis Power range by the use of artificialaids. These include telescopes, remoteTV cameras, clairvoyance, andTelescopic Vision. The target need notsee the hero in order for the Power toaffect him. Normally the Power affectsonly a single target. Each additionaltarget decreases the range -1CS. Targetsare allowed to disbelieve the
Hallucination by making an IntuitionFEAT but only if they suspect the truenature of wha t they are seeing.
Hallucinations last as long as the heroconcentrates on creating them. Theyinflict no real physical damage but can beused to disguise an actual Power's use.The hero can use one additional Powersimultaneously with this one.Hallucinations can be used to inflictpsychosomatic damage. If the apparentdamage is believable, the target willphysically react to it. Hallucinatory "death"results in the target lapsing intounconsciousness for 1-20 turns. Since atarget who takes the time to examine hiswounds will realize he has not been hurt(at least not in the way he thinks heshould be), the hero is advised not to useHallucinations that rely on direct attacks.
Hallucinations have limited effects onnon-sentient or extremely alien beings.They have no effect at all on MomsNature. A Hallucinatory wall might stop apuma but it won't stop a boulder rollingdown on the hero.
M13/Hyper-Intelligence: Normally acharacter's Intelligence is determined inthe Character Generation Process.However, the research for the UltimatePowers Book showed that extreme levelsof Intelligence can be a Power in its ownright. Examples include The Leader andthe late Soviet scientist known only asGargoyle. The hyper-intelligent characteris a genius of awesome potential. He canquickly master new subjects, retain thatknowledge indefinitely, and easilysucceed in any mental endeavor.
There are two ways the Power can beincorporated into a character. The playershould choose one when he first createsthe character (a coin toss will do).
The first method is a permanentmodification of the hero's Intelligence.The Power rank number is added to thehero's previously generated Reason orIntuition rank number. The total is thehero's actual Hyper-intelligence. Forexample, a character like the Leaderstarted off with Good Reason. Thegamma rays added Incredible Hyper-Intelligence for a final total of AmazingReason rank.
The second method uses Hyper-Intelligence the same way most otherPowers are used-intermittently. Just as
Siryn doesn't scream all the time, so toowould a Hyper-intelligent character havenormal intelligence most of the time.When he uses his Power, he transformshimself into a mental giant. The way itoperates is the character's normal rankfor either Reason or Intuition is raised thenumber of levels equal to the Power rank(Feeble is +1CS, Poor +2CS, and so on).The total is the actual Hyper-Intelligencerank the character can achieve using thisPower. The hero can retain this higherrank for a limited amount of time; theduration is the number of minutes equalto the original Ability's rank number. Thisis for the first time each day the herouses the Power. Each successive timethe hero uses his Power within the sameday decreases the duration -1CS.
Example: Steve is creating anawesomely wise alien named Shepherd.Shepherd has a normal IncredibleIntuition rank. His Power rank isExcellent. This raises the Intuition rankby +5CS to a potential Shift-Y rank.Shepherd can retain this enhanced statefor an Excellent duration of 40 minutesbefore he reverts to normal. summoninghis Power a second time, he returns toShift-Y Intuition for a Remarkableduration of only 30 minutes. He cansummon his Power five more times afterthat, then he has to rest.
When creating the character, the playercan increase the Power rank +1CS byspecializing in a specific fields. After all,comics are filled with characters who aretitans in the lab but failures in other fields.Possible fields include Professional andother Talents, such as Medicine,Engineering, and Animal Training.
Optional Powers include Hyper-Invention and Total Memory.
The Nemesis is Mind Drain.
M14/Hyper-Invention: This is a specialform of Hyper-intelligence that is commonenough to merit its own classification. It isa permanent enhancement of the hero'soverall intelligence that is channeled intothe field of mechanical design and en-gineering. The hero is an Edison-likegenius who take existing materials andtechnologies and use them to create newdevices or applied technologies. He canrepair previously operational devices,even if the device was of an unknowntype.
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The hero can learn new technologies ata rate determined by his rank, thecomplexity of the technology, and theamount of instruction available. Moderntechnology requires an Excellent IntensityFEAT. Advanced technology requires aRemarkable Intensity FEAT. Alien orfuturistic technology vary from IncredibleIntensity (Shi'ar) to Unearthly (theWatcher). The color of the FEAT isdetermined by the amount of instructionthe hero receives. A green FEAT requiresinstructional materials that explain thetechnology (a teacher, books, holocubes).A yellow FEAT is required if the hero hasaccess to materials not specially designedto instruct someone in that technology(readouts, performance specs, operatingmanuals, a copy of a working device). Ared FEAT is required if all the hero is hasan inoperational device if that technology.
Like Hyper-intelligence, the Hyper-Inventor can raise his rank +1CS byspecializing in a particular field. Examplesinclude vehicles, weapons, biomedicaltechnology, and architectural engineering.
The hero has the ability to manufactureor modify items using any technology heknows. He still requires adequatephysical resources to create the items,though the cost of anything he buildshimself is decreased -2CS compared tothe list price for off-the-shelf versions. APower FEAT based on the desired item'stech level determines the durability of theitem. A green or yellow FEAT means theitem has the same durability as anormally manufactured item. A red FEATmeans the item will function but hasperformance problems; the Judge candecide how long or well the itemfunctions before it fails.
Note: This is one of those Powers thatcan be used for personal profit. The herocan design and build exoticparaphernalia for other characters andNPCs on commission. This can raise thehero's Resource level by whatever feeshe can get away with.
Optional Powers include WeaponsTinkering, Machine Animation, Molding,Artifact Creation, and Machine Creation.Nemeses are Mental Duplication andMind Drain.M15/Incarnation Awareness: ThisPower is based on the idea that a spiritenters countless reincarnationsthroughout eternity but that the memory
of each past life is usually lostsomewhere in the transition from one lifeto another. This Power allows the hero toremember the details of his more recentlives and to actually communicate withthem. Such communications include thetransmission of the complete range ofsenses and thoughts.
There are two limits on communicationwith other lives. One, the communicationcan only be initiated by the hero's currentincarnation. He cannot be called by pastlives nor can he call future lives.However, that doesn't prevent the herofrom receiving messages from his futureselves. This can be a quick way to startan adventure (more later).
Two, the hero can only reach pastselves at points when they are actuallyliving. He cannot reach selves that are inan afterlife situation. In fact, the herocan't really recall ever being in any formof afterlife.
The Power rank number is also thenumber of consecutive past lives thehero can contact. The earliest incarnationis the lifespan in -which the Power firstappeared; it has been growing one pointat a time ever since. This limit spares theplayer the responsibility for making up amega-biography going back to the dawnof time. It spares the Judge by limitingthe potential havoc the player can wreakusing his now-dead contacts. Assume afull but average lifespan for all past lives.From the 18th century on, this is 70years. Prior to that, the average is 50.The time elapsed between incarnationsis up to the player, but at least oneincarnation per century is recommended.
Soon after the player acquires thisPower, he should work out a basictimeline for and list of his pastincarnations. Players are urged to maketheir past lives relatively normal people.Still, if the player is determined to fill uphis past with glory after glory, the Judgecan insist on a simple rule. To wit: thereis a 1% chance that any specifichistorical figure was a former incarnationof the present-day hero.
The Power is used primarily to gaininformation. The hero can makeextremely long-ranged plans that involvethe assistance of past lives in solvingcurrent problems.
Example: Self-1988 asks Self-1920 tohave a tunnel dug under the site of the
present day Latverian Embassy. A trustfund to be set up by Self-1855 will payfor it.
Sometimes a future incarnation willrequest that the hero perform a specialact. The reason for the act might neverbe explained. In this, way, the hero andhis associates might suddenly findthemselves thrust into extremely strangeor terribly mundane situations. ("It iscrucial that you make sure Jon Cliftongets to school today! Then bury tenpounds of Adamantium at thesecoordinates in the Gobi Desert.")
Even the best laid plans of mice andmen go astray. Any time the hero asks apast-self to perform an action that has adirect, physical effect on the present, hemust make a FEAT roll. This representsthe chance of long-range plans comingto fruition. Each century between thepresent-self and the past-self raises theIntensity FEAT +1CS.
Example: The Trust Fund set up in1855 requires a Poor Intensity FEAT.
The tunnel requires a Feeble IntensityFEAT. The player rolled a 30 and a 56.The trust fund failed somewhere alongthe way but the tunnel got built anywayusing alternative funding.
The Optional Powers include eitherTime Travel limited to any past lifetime, acombination of Time Travel and FreeSpirit that enables the present-self topossess the bodies of other selves, or aspecialized form of Time Travel thatenables the present self to draw otherselves from their times to the present.
M16/Iron Will: The hero has completeconscious control over his mind andbody. By using his Iron Will, the hero cantemporarily halt the damage done bymental or physical attacks; he can evenpostpone his own death.
Iron Will can be used in place of anylower-ranked Ability to determineResistance to an attack. Any time thehero suffers damage from an attack, thePower can temporarily absorb it before itcan affect any of the hero's Ability ranks.The maximum amount of damage IronWill can absorb at one time is equal to itsrank number. Absorbed damage does notaffect the hero at that time. Damageexceeding that amount affects the heroin its normal manner. The hero canmaintain his Iron Will indefinitely but will
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eventually have to relax his self-control inorder to heal and renew his Power.Letting down his control causes him toimmediately suffer a loss of Health pointsequal to one half the amount of damageIron Will had absorbed. Regardless ofthe original nature of the attack, it isalways translated into lost Health points;this reflects the strain the Power placeson the body. Once the translation occursand the Iron Will has been purged of itsburden, it is able to absorb new damage.The cycle of absorption/purging/absorption can continue until the hero'sHealth drops to zero or below. Note: ThePower. can still absorb damage, even ifthe conversion of that damage intoHealth points will result in the immediatedeath of the hero. In such a case, thehero had best make sure he is already inan excellent Trauma Center when herelaxes his Power.
Example: Sunstone is battling theMarauders and not doing too well. Hepossesses Incredible Iron Will and has100 Health points. Harpoon hits him witha Slayspear; this does 40 points ofdamage. Iron Will absorbs it all butimmediately reconverts it to a loss of 20Health points. Sabertooth slashes andgnaws Sunstone for 60 points. Iron Willonly absorbs the first 40, thenimmediately converts it. Health nowstands at 40 points. Malice attempts toPossess Sunstone; Iron Will fends off themental attack but at a cost of another 38points. Sunstone decides discretion isbetter than valor and flees. Scalphunterfires at the retreating figure and inflictsthirty more points of damage. Sunstoneheads for the best-equipped hospital inthe area. He manages to maintain hisself-control until he is actually in theoperating room, then he passes out aswounds suddenly appear across his body.
M17/Linguistics: This is a specializedform of Hyper-intelligence. The hero hasthe ability to rapidly learn any language ifsufficient material is available for him towork with. Once the language ismastered, the hero is fluent in thatlanguage, provided he is physicallycapable of communicating in it.
The number of languages a hero iscurrently fluent in is limited to the Powerrank number. For example, DougRamsey's Incredible rank enables him to
retain fluency in up to forty languages ata time. When a hero exceeds that limit,he begins to forget a previously masteredlanguage. This will usually be someobscure tongue the hero has had littleuse for, like Basic Otter or Mephitish.
The speed with which a hero can learna new language is determined by itsstrangeness and what source materialsare available. Current human languagesrequire a Poor FEAT. Archaic humanlanguages are a Good FEAT. Alien butHumanoid languages are RemarkableFEAT. Animal languages are an IncredibleFEAT (note: not all animals have anactual language). Alien, nonhumanoidlanguages are an Amazing FEAT. Thecolor of the FEAT is determined by thesource of the language. A green FEAT isneeded if the hero has access to actualinstructional materials or a cooperativenative speaker of that language who alsospeaks a language the hero knows. Ayellow FEAT is needed if the hero has anative speaker who cannot speak anytongue the hero knows or if the hero onlyhas non-instructional samples of thatlanguage. A red FEAT is needed if thehero has only fragments of the newlanguage. For example, learning Shi'arfrom watching a broadcast of a speech byMajestrix Lilandra is a yellow RemarkableIntensity FEAT. Learning spoken Primateby actually using sign language to talkwith a chimpanzee requires a greenincredible intensity FEAT.
The hero can try a FEAT roll everyhour. Failure means he simply has notyet gotten the hang of the new language.
The only real drawback to the Power isthat the hero may accidentally forget hisnative language, especially if he rarelyuses it. Still, he can always re-learn it.There is a danger that an adversarymight warp the hero's Linguistic Powerand actually negate his languagecomprehension; in such a case, the herobecomes dyslexic and unable tounderstand simple English.
A curious side-effect of the Power isthat it provides Power rank Resistance toHypnotic Voice and other sonic-basedforms of Hypnotic or Mind Control. Thehero's mind shifts into its translationmode; it studies the medium throughwhich the hypnosis is communicatedrather than the actual message. ("Lorelei,did you ever realize that your sleep
command is a high C-sharp while yourparalysis command is a high C-flat?")
The Optional Power is Hyper-Intelligence.
The Nemesis is Mind Drain.
M18/Mental Duplication: This is acombination of Powers that enables thehero to psionically study a subject's mindand then create a simulation of that mindwithin the hero's own brain. This is agreat way to learn secrets andinterrogate subjects who would otherwisebe rather uncooperative (at best). Theduplicated mind contains the personalityof the original, most memories, andpossibly the mental or psionic Powers ofthe original. The subject is unaffected bythe Power and loses none of his ownmental abilities. He is usually unawarethat Duplication has even occurred.
The relationship between the hero's andthe duplicate's mind takes one of threeforms. The player must choose one formwhen he first creates the hero; this formapplies for any duplicates the hero creates.
Dice Roll
01-40
41-7071-00
Form
Detachment
MergeTransformation
Detachment—The hero's mind iscompletely separate from the duplicateand retains full control over the body andother Powers. The hero can examineand communicate with the duplicate. Theduplicate retains a facsimile of theoriginal's will and may not choose tovoluntarily cooperate with the hero. If theduplicate chooses to resist, the heromust make a Psyche FEAT whoseIntensity is determined by the duplicate'sPsyche rank. A successful FEAT meansthe duplicate will grudgingly cooperate(for now). The FEAT must be made witheach new attempt to force cooperation.The duplicate mind can attempt tooverwhelm the hero's own mind.Success occurs if the duplicate makes a-3CS Psyche FEAT whose intensity isbased on the hero's Psyche. Theduplicate mind can attempt its coup atthe initial duplication and at any time thehero forces cooperation. Success meansthe two minds' positions are nowreversed; the duplicate now controls the
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body and any Powers for the duration ofthe duplication.
Example: Copicat successfullyduplicates Dr. Doom's mind. Doom won'tstand for anything resemblingsubservience and immediately rebels.Copicat has Excellent Psyche; Dr. Doomhas Amazing Psyche, reduced -3CS toExcellent when attempting to overwhelm.The Doom-mind fails to make therequired Excellent Intensity FEAT."Doom" decides to examine his situation;from the Doom-mind's point of view, "he"has been captured by means of a MindTransferral of unknown type. Copicat istrying to get the Doom-mind to draw up aset of plans for his time machine.Unfortunately Doom's Psyche is too highfor even a red FEAT.Merge—The duplicate mind blends withthe hero's mind to create a compositementality. The new mind containsaspects of both minds' personalities,memories, and Powers. The new mind'sPsyche is the sum of the original twoPsyche ranks. The degree of eachmind's influence is proportional to itsoriginal Psyche. Each original Psycherepresents a section of the pooledPsyche. For example, Carboncopy has aGood Psyche. He merges with a Thingduplicate (Remarkable Psyche), creatinga joint Incredible Psyche. One fourth ofthe joint personality is Carboncopy, theremaining three-quarters are the Thing.Transformation—The hero's mind isautomatically overwhelmed by the newmind. The hero's personality, memories,and mental Powers are temporarilyreplaced by the new mind. The effectsappear identical to Mind Transferral, atleast where the hero is concerned. Thehero's Reason and Intuition are replacedby those of the original mind; afterexpiration of the Power, these return totheir original ranks.
Regardless of the form, the hero mustmake a FEAT at the time of Duplicationin order to determine the completenessof the duplicate mind. Any mind can beduplicated, regardless of its Psyche rank.The hero always duplicates the subject'spersonality and basic memories; theduplicate mind is an amnesiac. A greenFEAT copies the subject's detailedmemories. A yellow FEAT copies thesubject's Talents. A red FEAT duplicatesthe subject's Mental and Psionic Powers.
The range at which the hero canduplicate a mind is determined by thePower rank. Appropriate ranges areshown on Column A of the Range Table.
The duration of the duplication isdetermined by the hero's Psyche rank. Aduplicate mind has a duration of thenumber of minutes equal to the Psycherank number. The duration decreases -1CS for all duplicate-minds with eachadditional mind. For example, Copicat'sExcellent Psyche enables him tomaintain one duplicate-mind for 20minutes or a maximum of five minds fortwo minutes. If the hero exceeds his limit,the new duplicate-mind will last for oneturn and then all his copied minds willvanish. Note: the decreased durationonly applies to the Detachment andMerge forms; the Transformation formcan be used repeatedly since the latestduplication automatically erases theprevious one.
When the hero is created, the playermust determine how much control thehero has over his Power. Failure tomake at least a green Reason FEATmeans the Power functionsautomatically, despite the hero's wishes.In the case of uncontrolled Powerusage, the range at which duplicationoccurs drops to contact-only. The herocan maintain some control by coveringall parts of her body that might normallytouch another person's skin. Forexample, Rogue wears a full bodycovering complete with gloves.
In rare cases, the duration of a specificduplicate mind can be extended topermanence. Such cases result from acombination of extremely peculiarfactors. One such example occurredwhen Rogue's Mutant Power interactedwith Ms. Marvel's Kree-Modified Humanphysiology. The result is that Rogue'smind permanently merged with afacsimile of Carol Danvers' mind. Ifpermanence occurs to someone with theTransformation form, then the hero'soriginal mind is permanently destroyed.
Optional Powers include Mind Drainand Power Duplication.
The Nemesis is Mind Blast; thisnegates all duplicate minds.
M19/Mental Invisibility: The hero hasthe ability to render his own mentalenergies undetectable by external
means. Such means can betechnological (EEG scans), psionic,Magical, or Power-based in nature. It isInvisibility in telepathic terms.
The Power protects the hero fromdiscovery by outside forces. It serves asPower rank Resistance to undesiredprobes and psionic attacks. Successmeans the external probe shows nothingat all, including the presence of thisPower, and psionic attacks simply passthrough the target (think of someonetrying to punch air). The Power canextend to other minds, but eachadditional mind decreases the effectiveInvisibility -1CS.
The Nemesis is Mental Probe.
M20/Mental Probe: The hero cantelepathically probe a living mind or apsionic phenomenon to gain a detailedanalysis of the target. Living minds canbe searched for specific images andthoughts, although the hero must have abasic idea beforehand of what she islooking for. The target mind is allowed tomake a Psyche FEAT to resist a MentalProbe. This is automatic, even if thetarget mind is initially unaware if theattempted probe. If resistance issuccessful, the probe is rejected with aheadache-like backlash that prevents thehero from trying to probe that targetagain for 24 hours. A side-effect of thePower is that the target's Psyche maytemporarily drop -1CS for 24 hours as aresult of fending off the probe. Thispotential loss is determined by a secondPsyche FEAT made after the initialresistance. A successful probe revealsonly information known by the target.
Mental Probes can be used to analyzeindependently existing psychic pheno-mena. Such things include poltergeists,psionic emissions that were so strongthey permeated an area and nowcontinually echo, and psionic Powersintercepted by the hero. The hero canexamine any unknown psionic pheno-mena in stages. The first FEAT revealsbasic information, such as the nature ofthe psionics in use. Further FEATs revealincreasingly detailed information.
Mental Probes have a range deter-mined by the Power rank. Maximumranges are shown on column A of theRange Table. The player has the option,when creating the hero, of raising the
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Power rank +1CS by decreasing therange to contact-only.
Optional Powers include Telepathy andSensory Link. The Nemesis is MentalInvisibility.
M21/Mind Blast: The hero can createbolts of pure psionic energy that can beused to directly damage a target's neuralsystem. The Power does rank Intensitydamage to the target. The maximumranges are shown on column A of theRange Table.
Targets are allowed to resist by makinga Psyche FEAT. Failure means the targetis knocked unconscious for 1-10 turns,as well as taking neural damage. Targetswho possess Mental or Psionic Powerscan use these Powers' ranks instead ofthe Psyche when resisting this Power.Powers like Iron Will, Mental Invisibility,Force Field Generation, Force Field vs.Psionics, and Resistance to Psionicsshould always bear the initial assault.
The Power directly damages onlyneural tissue (brain tissue, nerve fibers).Damage to the rest of the body is indirectand is consistent with the seizurescaused by a mangled nervous system.
Note that this Power can only be usedagainst a target that actually possessesa functioning brain. Zombies, animatematter, plants, and non-sentient Robotsare immune to the Power. Playercharacters Robots are assumed to havea sufficiently human-like mind that theyare susceptible to the Power's effects.
Optional Powers include Telepathy andMental Probe.
The Nemesis is Force Field vs. Psionics.
M22/Mind Drain: The hero can deplete,negate, or even destroy a target's mentalfaculties. This alters the target'spersonality, memory, thought process(Reason and Intuition), and any Mentalor Psionic Powers the target had. Thetarget can resist by making a PsycheFEAT; success means the hero isrepelled -by a headache-inducingbacklash that prevents the hero fromattacking that target for 24 hours. Part ofthe target's Psyche may be depleted byresisting the attack. If the target fails asecond Psyche FEAT, then his Psychedrops -1CS for 24 hours.
The target's Reason and Intuition ranknumbers are reduced by the Power rank
number. If both are reduced to zero, theloss is permanent. If the attack is brokenoff before this point, the target can regainhis loss in the standard manner. Althoughsuch things as memory and personalityare not directly tied to a number, they arestill reduced by the Power. The targetbecomes forgetful or outright amnesiacand develops a bland personality. Note:The hero does not gain the abilities hedenies the target.
Range is determined by Power rank.Maximums ranges for attacking a singletarget are shown on column A of theRange Table. Each additional targetdecreases the range -1CS. The Power canbe used repeatedly on the same targetuntil both Reason and Intuition reach zeroor until the target repels the hero.
Optional Powers include Telepathy,Mental Probe, Mental Duplication, andMind Blast.
The Nemesis is Force Field vs.Psionics.
M23/Postcognition: The hero has theability to "see" the past. The Powerrequires the hero to have physicalcontact with the target whose history isbeing examined. The hero can mentallyexamine a person, item, or site andmentally re-live a specific moment ofhistory from the target's point-of-view. Assuch, it only reveals factors thatsomehow affected the target.
It is important that the Judge secretlyroll the dice whenever the hero uses thePower. This prevents the player fromknowing the accuracy of his vision.
The hero can delve into the past thenumber of weeks equal to the Power ranknumber. For example, a Poor rank cansee events of four weeks ago, an Amazingrank can look back almost one year, and aCL5000 rank can look back a century.
The clarity of the vision is determinedby what FEAT color is attained. A whiteroll lets the Judge say anything thatcomes to his head; accuracy andtruthfulness are optional. ("This doll wasonce a living child.") A green FEAT givesvague impressions; the Judge should behonest about the real past but give onlypartial details. ("A little girl held this doll.She had black hair.") A yellow FEATgives general information; the Judgeshould give any information he can,though within the limits of what the target
would know. ("The girl's name is Helen.She is feeling very angry. She is mad ather friend Davey.") A red FEAT revealsinformation that might not be otherwiseavailable, including details that thesubject might not have known at thetime. ("Helen is mad because Daveybroke her doll. Helen is going to get evenwith Davey. Helen is a mutant.")
Postcognition can be used to gaininformation on what an item is and whomay have handled it. It cannot provide adetailed analysis of the item's internalstructure or as-yet-unrealized potential.For e xample, examining a nuclear bombwould reveal how it was manufacturedand handled but the Power wouldn't even hint at the bomb's explosive potential.
The hero gains +1CS when usingPostcognition on friends, possessions,and his dwelling place. He gains +2CSwhen using the Power on himself. Thiscan be used to probe times of which thehero has no memory, such as sleep oramnesia. ("What was the Black Widowdoing in my apartment while I wasasleep?")
Optional Powers include modifiedforms of Telepathy and Time Travel.Telepathy can be used to read the mindsof anyone within the scope of thePostcognitive vision. Time Travel can beused to draw the hero to that point in thepast; note that this often results in thecreation if a divergent timeline.
M24/Precognition: (Judges detest thisPower with a passion.) The hero can seeinto the future. The Power gives the herosufficiently clear insight into upcomingevents that he might be able to use thatforeknowledge to his advantage. Theproblem lies in two areas, the flexibility ofthe timestream and the preparedness ofthe Judge (more on these later).Precognition is an awesome Power andthus has more limits than the Hulk canshake a stick at. ("Hulk no need punystick!") The Power can normally be usedonly once per day at full rank. Eachadditional use decreases the rank -1CSdown to a minimum of 1 turns lead-time.Second, the player must choose alimitation on the Power. Examplesinclude:• The Power is uncontrollable; the Judge
decides when the visions occur.• Subject matter limited to people.
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• Subject matter limited to objects the
hero is touching.• Subject matter is limited to sites within
10 feet of the hero.• Power only works when the hero is
sleeping or in a trance.• Power is linked to a specific mental or
emotional state that is felt by the heroor a person in a vision.
• Visions surround the hero with aHallucination of the future scene.
• The Power only works once per visionand cannot function again until theenvisioned time has come to pass.
The third limit is that the Judge, not theplayer, rolls the dice. The Player cannottry to influence the dice by expendingKarma. The Judge never tells the playerthe outcome or if he even threw the diceat all. This keeps the player fromknowing the accuracy of his visions.
Player characters can look into thefuture a number of hours equal to twicethe Power rank number. For example, aGood rank can see almost a day ahead,an Unearthly rank can see over a weekahead, and a CL3000 rank can see eightmonths ahead.
The color FEAT determines theaccuracy of the vision. White results canbe completely untainted by truth; theJudge can improvise to his heart'sdelight. ("Three days from nowSentinels fighting in space an armadaof aliens swarming upon them A mannamed Jubal leads the aliens.") A greenresult requires the Judge to be truthfulbut to only reveal basic details. A yellowFEAT requires full disclosure of anythingthe Judge can imagine being visible atthe time of the vision's occurrence. A redFEAT enables the hero to learn thingsthat might not be readily apparent at thetime the vision comes to pass.
One problem with the Power is that thetimestream is extremely malleable. Eachdecision made creates an alternatetimeline, a parallel Earth almost but notquite identical to the version of Earthwhere your campaign occurs. Eachvision is an event that will come to passin some timestream somewhere. It neednot be the hero's impending timeline.That's where Precognition comes in.Each Precog vision gives the hero achance to consciously shape his world'stimeline. Because of this, the envisioned
event might never come to pass, at leastnot where the hero is concerned.
This leads to the second problem, thatof Judge preparedness. To accuratelyand realistically portray Precog, theJudge would need to work out a detailedtimeline of the campaign's future events,including variables that account forprobable player actions. This is a majorheadache for Judges. This is a leadingreason why Galactuses throughout themultiverse devour any world wherePrecognition appears. Precogs aretherefore warned to use their Powercarefully.
Short-range Precog can be useful incombat. The hero can use his Power todiscover his opponent's next move. Thisform can be used by any Precog,regardless of the limits otherwiseconstraining the Power. In game terms,the player tries to make a yellow FEAT atthe start of each turn. Success meansthe Judge must reveal the NPCs' nextmoves. Initiative is rolled. If the Precoggets it, she has a chance to share herinformation with her teammates. This useof Precognition must be developed as aPower Stunt.
The hero gains an advantage of +1CSwhen she has a Precog flash pertainingto friends, special enemies, possessionsand dwelling places. This increases to+2CS if the flash involves dire eventsoccurring to the Precog herself.
The Power can be psychologicallydamaging to the Precog. The Power isoften limited to times within the hero'sown lifespan. Most of the time, there isno cause for alarm until the Power startsconsistently failing. Delusions may resultfrom frequent but inaccurate visions.Frequent, accurate visions of doom anddestruction beyond the hero's capabilitiesmay lead to aberrant behavior, such aschronic depression or chemicaldependency.
Optional Powers include modifiedforms of Telepathy and Time Travel.Telepathy enables the hero to actuallyread the minds of anyone within thescope of the Precog flash. Time Travelenables the hero to actually travel to thetime when the vision portrays.
M25/Psionic Vampirism: The Psi-vampire can drain the mental energies ofhis victim. He then uses the purloined
energy to increase his own Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and his ownPowers' ranks.
The Psi-vampire can drain the mentalenergy from a target by means of aPower FEAT. The intensity rank isdetermined by the victim's Psyche. Asuccessful FEAT enables the Psi-vampire to drain an amount of energyequal to his Power rank number. Thisamount is drawn in equal amounts fromthe victim's Reason, Intuition, andwhatever Mental Powers he possesses.The process can continue indefinitely,with each successful FEAT enabling thePsi-vampire to drain more mental energy.
The Psi-vampire can voluntarily ceasefeeding at any time by making any colorFEAT except red. A red FEAT means hehas entered an uncontrollable feedingfrenzy that can only end when the victimis completely drained or the Psi-vampirehas. been repelled.
If the Psi-vampire fails to make a FEATat any point in the feeding process, he isinstantly repulsed by the victim and cannever re-establish his attack.Furthermore, the victim is now immuneto any further vampire attacks by thatparticular Psi-vampire. This immunitydoes not extend to other Psi-vampires.
The Psi-vampire distributes the gainedenergy among his Strength, Endurance,Psyche, and whatever Powers he has.He cannot raise this Power's rank; noVampire of any type can ever raise hisown Power rank.
So why do Psi-vampires do it? Theanswer is they lose energy at a frightfulrate. The rank numbers for Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and all his Powers(except this one) each drop one point perhour. The Psi-vampire must feed in orderto return the affected Abilities to theiroriginal ranks. This also explains whyVampires are so rare: lower rankedVampires must constantly feed and aretherefore easily detected and destroyed.
If the Psi-vampire is-deprived ofvictims, he enters a death-like trancewhen all his afflicted Abilities drop to Shift0. His Vampiric Power continues tofunction and will try to feed on anythingthat comes in contact with the body.When the Abilities return to Feeble rank,the Psi-vampire returns to life.
When the Psi-vampire is created, theplayer must choose at least one
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Weakness. The player can increase hisPower rank +1CS for each additionalWeakness he chooses, up to a limit ofthree additional Weaknesses.
Psi-vampirism is communicable. Asentient being who was completelydrained by a Psi-vampire must make aPsyche. FEAT roll. A red FEAT meansthe victim has himself been transformedinto a Feeble Psi-vampire.
The Nemesis is an Enhanced Psycheraised two levels higher than the Psi-vampire's Power rank.
M/26Remote Sensing: This is a catchallname for any Power that enables thehero to psionically extend the range ofany sense. The senses include taste,smell, touch, balance (including gravitysensing), and temperature. Theexceptions are sight and hearing, asthese are already covered by the Powersof Clairvoyance and Clairaudience. ThePower can also be used to extend therange of senses not present in NormalHumans, such as senses that detectKirlian auras or magnetic fields. Theplayer must choose a single sense to beextended by this Power. It must be asense that is common to the hero'sphysical type.
The taste/smell form can be useful inanalyzing distant and possibly toxicsubstances. He can savor tastes andsmells that might kill him if he were todirectly experience them. ("Nerve gassmells like freshly baked cinnamonbuns.") He can develop an extensivepalate that permits him to identifysubstances by taste; a green ReasonFEAT should suffice.
The tactile form is good for identifyingconcealed or inaccessible shapes.Examples include the interior of a lock ora non-surgical examination of a patient.Again, a green Reason FEAT coupledwith the hero's Talents should suffice.
The range is determined by the Powerrank. Maximum ranges are shown oncolumn E of the Range Table.
A drawback to this Power is that it actsas a funnel to direct Psionic attacksagainst the hero. Resistance isdecreased -1CS because of this.
Optional Powers include additionalforms of this Power, Clairaudience, andClairvoyance.
The Nemesis is Mental Invisibility.
M27/Sensory Link: The hero cantelepathically link his senses with thoseof another being. He can use theinformation gained from the other'ssenses as if it came from the hero's ownsenses. An example would be a blindman really seeing through his guidedog's eyes.
The Power is crucial to sense-impairedcharacters. Such characters need otherbeings with the necessary senses toreplace the hero's own deficiency. Thehero could receive input from any livingbeing, including companions,adversaries, onlookers, and evenanimals. The range for this is line-of-sightwithin one area. The hero canconcentrate on the input from a singlebeing but he can also automatically scanfor other possible sense-donors. This is amental reflex action that permits the heroto constantly seek out new contacts.
Sensory Link can be of benefit toheroes who are not sense-impaired. Insuch cases, the hero can scan distantareas through the senses of beingswithin the target area. The Power can beused to locate people, spy on foes, orsimply to check out the scenery. Thesense donor is unaware that part of hissenses are being siphoned by the hero.A red Reason FEAT is required for thesense-donor to feel the Power'spresence and even then the donor wouldprobably not recognize what ishappening to him.
A weakness of the Power is that itdecreases -1CS the hero's resistance topsionic attacks aimed at him or at thecurrent sense-donor. A seconddisadvantage is that the hero's initialAgility and Fighting ranks are decreased-1CS due to the fact that the hero isoperating with a detached point of view.Either of these can be overcome byexpending Karma.
An Optional Power is Telepathy.The Nemesis is Neural Manipulation.
M28/Serial Immortality: A character withthis Power can suffer damage, get sick,age, and even die. None of it ispermanent to the character, though.When the hero's body dies from anycause, the unique nature of his lifeforceenables it to transfer to a new body. Hecan also transfer some but not all of hisPowers to the new body. The hero loses
all Karma with the death of the old body.There are five forms of Serial
Immortality, each with a different meansof rebirth and Power transferral. Theplayer must choose one of thesemethods, either selecting for himself orletting the die decide.
Die Roll
01-20
21-4041-6061-8081-00
Form
Newborn
PremadeRe-animationSpontaneous CreationParasite
Newborn—The body is that of an infant.The character can enter the body at anypoint from conception to birth. He ishelpless until birth actually occurs. Hecan accelerate the body's physicaldevelopment in order to induce birth andquickly regain physical maturity. The rateof accelerated development is amultiplier equal to the Power ranknumber. A Feeble rank ages twice as fastas normal, a Remarkable rank ages onemonth for each day that passes, and aShift-Z can age over a year for each realday.
Example: Avengers #200 revealed thatImmortus' son Marcus had entered theEarth Dimension by way of an embryohe had implanted in Ms. Marvel's body.He was born within weeks of herdiscovering she was pregnant and grewinto a seeming 20-year-old within a dayof his birth.
Mental Powers are immediatelytransferred to the new body. PhysicalPowers are regained as the bodymatures. The Judge can decide how andwhen the Powers reappear. Powers thatare derived externally or result frommassive alterations of the hero's originalform are not transferred. The hero willhave to recover or recreate the source ofthese Powers in order to regain them.Premade—The new body is a previouslyprepared clone or android body that wasprepared specifically for this purpose.Such a body is already physically matureand in possession of the full range of thehero's Powers. It is completely mindlessand rests in a comatose state untilactivated by the hero's lifeforce.
The knowledge of how to create thesebodies can be learned by characters with
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Remarkable or better Reason, providedthey are properly trained. Someone withAmazing Reason can figure it out forhimself. A Laboratory or Medical Packageof Amazing cost is required to create thesebodies. Each body has an Remarkablecost. Magically created bodies require anequivalent Resource level.
If a premade body is unavailable at thetime the old one dies, the lifeforce driftsin Limbo until such a body becomesavailable.Re-animation—The lifeforce enters andrevives a recently deceased butunmutilated corpse, preferably of thesame species as the original body. Thebody must be reasonably intact, althoughthe Power does include a single-useform of Self-healing that repairs the bodyand restarts bodily functions. The herocan not control which body he enters butrather is drawn to one in the followingorder of preference: 1) closest to oldbody, 2) most recently dead, and 3) leastsevere damage.
Mental Powers are immediatelytransferred. Most physical Powers areregained as the hero-re shapes the newbody to accommodate the Powers' use.Powers that are external must berecovered or recreated. The amount oftime needed to reshape the body is thenumber of days equal to 100 minus thePower rank number. If the corpse hasintrinsic Powers, the hero gains the useof these upon re-animating the corpse.Such Powers are not transferred tosubsequent bodies. The re animatedbody regains full life within a day of thePower's use.Spontaneous Creation—This is the mostsociably acceptable form of SerialImmortality. The hero creates existingmatter and energy into the flesh of a newbody. The newly-created body is identicalto the previous one and possesses allPowers except externally derived ones.Any Power that is in the hero's self-imagecan transfer. The time needed to create anew body is the number of days equal to100 minus the Power rank number.Parasite—This is the nastiest, leastsocially acceptable form of SerialImmortal ity. The character's lifeforceinvades a living, physically mature bodyand overwhelms the original occupant'smind. Successful invasion is determinedby pitting the Power rank against the
would-be victim's Psyche. The invadermust make a Power FEAT whoseintensity is equal to the victim's Psyche.Failure means the invader must chooseanother victim. If the invasion succeeds,the original mind suffers one of fivepossible fates; the player must chooseone that holds for all victims of thisPower. There is an equal random chancefor each.
Subordination: The victim retainsconsciousness and individuality but losesall physical control. He is a prisoner inhis own body.
Merger: The victim's mind is incorpor-ated into the greater mind of the invader.
Comatose: The victim's mind isrendered unconscious for the duration ofthe invasion.
Obliteration: The victim's mind iscompletely destroyed.
Eviction: The victim's mind is drivenout of his body and becomes a FreeSpirit (see M11).
It is incredibly difficult to finally defeatan adversary with any form of SerialImmortality. The best the foe can normallyhope for is to defeat the current body andthen prepare for the next incarnation. It ispossible to stop the infinite progressionfrom body to body by preventing the herofrom leaving his current body (suspendedanimation will do) or entering a new one(stranding the hero in intergalactic spaceis a good tactic). The lifeforce can bedirectly fought or even killed within theLimbo dimension.
Sometimes a character with this Powercan be forced out of his current bodywithout that body getting killed in theprocess. The Judge is free to decidewhat conditions apply in his campaign;suggested moans revolve aroundcoercion or such Powers as Magic,Power Controls, Force Field vs. Hostiles,Summoning, and Exorcism. SuchPowers must exceed the hero's Powerrank by 2CS in order to forcibly evict thelifeforce from the body. If successful, thelifeforce is driven into Limbo or a newbody in a more peaceful location. As forthe now vacated body, the results varywith the form and variety of SerialImmortality:Newborn—The body is now occupied bythe innocent soul of a newborn infant,regardless of the body's physical age.Premade—"He's dead, Jim."
Re-animation—" She's dead, Jim."Creation—The body reverts to its originalmaterials.Parasite/Subordination—The victimawakens with full knowledge of his pastplight.Parasite/Merger—The victim awakes butis temporarily schizoid due to lingeringeffects of the merger.Parasite/Comatose—The victim awakonswith no knowledge of the intervening time.Parasite/Obliteration—"This one's dead,too."Parasite/Eviction—The body is comatosebut will revive when the original mindrejoins the body.
The Nemesis is Exorcism.
M29/Speech-throwing: This is bestdescribed as "super-ventriloquism."Although it is radically different inexecution from the Talent ofVentriloquism, the effect at low levels issimilar. Simply put, the hero can makehis voice audible in a distant location,without the vocal soundwaves actuallytraveling the intervening distance. ThePower is actually a specialized form ofTelekinesis which allows the hero toagitate the distant molecules in a waythat simulates sound transmission. ThePower enables the hero to be heardinstantaneously at any distance, despiteany barriers to normal soundtransmission. The only barriers that stopthis Power are those that interfere withPsionic Powers.
Speechthrowing's range is determinedby its Power rank. Column E of theRange Table shows appropriatedistances. The hero has 100% accuracy,provided he can somehow sense thetarget area. This is commonly providedby such Powers as Clairaudience andClairvoyance. If the hero lacks themeans to check on his aim, he cannotcontrol anything but the basic directionhis voice is being sent.
If the hero has other sonic-basedPowers, they can be combined with thisPower to greatly enhance their range. Ifthe hero has Extradimensional Detectionor Dimension Travel, these can be usedto modify the Power and enable the heroto Speech-throw into other Dimensions.
The Bonus Power is Clairaudience.Optional Powers include Clairvoyance,
Vocal Control, Hyper-hearing, and
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Sensory Link.The Nemesis is Force Field vs.
Psionics.
M30/Telekinesis: The hero can handlematerial objects without having to makedirect or indirect physical contact(pushing or blowing, for example). Thehero can perform any action that couldbe accomplished using normal Strength.The Power rank serves as an equivalentfor the Strength rank. Most Telekinetics("TKs") visualize their Power in terms ofan amorphous arm extending from thebody. This leads to a curiouspsychological handicap in that most TKscannot lift their own bodies. Only rareexamples like Marvel Girl have overcomethis bit of irrationality.
The range is determined by the Powerrank. Column A on the Range Tableshows the ranges for a single act of TKactivity. Each additional simultaneousaction reduces the range -1CS. Multipleactivities share the common pool of TKstrength. The more actions that areattempted, the weaker each telekineticarm becomes. If the hero attempts toperform a greater number ofsimultaneous complex activities than theJudge thinks plausible, the Judge mayrequire an Agility FEAT.
If the hero also possesses RemoteSensing, she can develop a sense oftouch through her TK grasp. This permitsthe hero to handle materials that are notwithin her sight. Clairvoyance can beincorporated into TK to permit visualguidance.
Optional Powers include MatterAnimation, Molding, Clairvoyance,Remote Sensing/Touch, Levitation, andTrue Flight.
Nemesis is either Force Field vs.Psionics or Gravity Manipulation.
M31/Telelocation: The hero canPsionically locate a chosen target. Thisdiffers from normal Tracking in that nophysical or sensory contact, howevertenuous, is required. Consequently, thePower is not hampered by theconcealment, erasure, or absence of thetarget's "scent." Telelocation canoperate over immense distances. Theonly factors that can hinder the Powerare those that diminish any Psionicactivity.
The range, determined by the Powerrank, is shown on column D of theRange Table. This represents a spherecentered on the hero; the quarry must bewithin it. The hero must have a stimulusto channel her Power toward a specificquarry. The nature of the stimulusdetermines' the Power FEAT. A greenFEAT requires contact with a part orpossession of the quarry. A yellow FEATrequires the hero to have previouscontact with the quarry.
A red FEAT is required if the hero onlyhas second-hand information about thequarry (and it had better be good).
Optional Powers include Clairvoyance(limited to already located quarries) andExtradimensional Detection (whichautomatically combines with this Powerto extend its range into otherdimensions).
The Nemesis is Mental Invisibility.
M32/Telepathy: The hero cancommunicate on a direct mind-to-mindbasis. This is automatic with willingminds or Psyches with ranks lower thanthe Power rank. Equal Psyche ranksrequire a yellow FEAT. Minds with mentalPowers or some form of Psionic defenserequire a red FEAT. Uncooperativebeings with Psyches exceeding thePower rank -are impossible FEATs.
Range is determined by Power rank.Column D of the Range Table shows thelimits. At Class 1000 the Power canbreach dimensional barriers; this canalso be accomplished if the herocombines Telepathy withExtradimensional Detection.
In the main Marvel Universe, Magnetocreated a special magnetic flux in theEarth's magnetic field. His purpose wasto hinder Professor X's efforts to locatehim. The result is that terrestrialTelepathy is decreased -3CS in rangewith a minimum of contact-only. ActualTelepathic strength is unaffected byMagneto's interference. If the hero isbeyond Earth's altered magnetic field, inthe past, or in other dimensions, then thelimit disappears and the Telepathy canassume its true range.
When the hero is created, the playercan raise the Power rank +1CS bychoosing a limitation. Examples includeeither receiving or transmitting only (notboth), communicating in only words or
visual images (not both), or being limitedto contacting only other telepaths andother Psionic types.
Optional Powers include Empathy,Hallucinations, Mental Invisibility, MentalProbe, Mind Blast, Mind Drain, SensoryLink, and Psionic Detection.
The Nemesis is Resistance to Psionics.
M33/Total Memory: The hero has theability to remember anything that he hasever experienced. This could be a bookhe's read, the faces of everyone he sawon Tuesday, what birth was like, and soon. The accuracy of his recall is hisPower rank number treated as apercentage. Feeble is 2%, Excellent is20%, and so on to automatic accuracy atUnearthly rank or above.
The color FEAT reflects the nature ofthe memory being sought. Green FEATsinvolve personal memories. YellowFEATs involve learning experiences. RedFEATs involve unconsciously gainedinformation, such as the faces ofeveryone the hero saw on Tuesday.
The Power is the perfect complementfor Hyper-Intelligence by providing abuilt-in library. It can be used to simulatethat Power, Hyper-Invention, or WeaponsTinkering, provided the hero once readtexts that explained how to do things thatcome naturally to those with the otherPowers. ("Well, I read Reed Richard'snotes on constructing dimensionalgateways, so if I just follow his plans weshould be in the Negative Zone by nextMonday night.")
When playing a character with TotalMemory, assume he is a voraciousconsumer of all media. It is to hisadvantage, after all. Such characters arealso fond of quoting obscure texts orunconsciously reciting encyclopediaentries. The Power doesn't really altereither Intuition or Reason, thus these canbe used as a guide for what the hero hasprobably read in the past. When the heroclaims to have read a special text, theplayer is required to make a ReasonFEAT to prove he has read somethingalong the desired liner.
Flashback is a real danger. If the herowas ever a victim of a mental attack, thereis a chance the memory will accidentallyresurface at a later time and the effectreturns anew. Such flashbacks occurwhen the hero is somehow reminded of
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PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT
the original incident. The hero must makea green Psyche FEAT to avoid reliving thefull effects of that other Power.
Example: Phtomemry was underRingmaster's Hypnotic Control for twodays back in 1978. Today he saw a newsreport on Ringmaster's parole hearing.Suddenly the compulsion to rob jewelrystores returned.
Optional Powers include Hyper-Invention, Hyper-intelligence, andWeapons Tinkering.
The Nemesis is Mind Drain.
Physical EnhancementPowers
P1/Armor Skin: This is a form of Body
Armor. The hero's skin is transformedinto a damage-resistant form. The Powerrank number decreases the Intensity ofany physical or energy attack. Thisdecrease applies each turn for as long asthe attack continues.
The Armor Skin may be permanent ortemporary. The permanent form is alasting modification to the hero'sappearance and physiology. Thetemporary form allows the hero to retainhis normal human appearance andidentity. When the need arises, the herocan manifest his Power and transformhimself into his armored self. Theadvantage of the permanent form is thathero is always protected. Thedisadvantage is that the hero may be aphysical freak. The advantage to thetemporary from is that the hero can live arelatively normal life when he is notperforming heroic deeds. The disad-vantages are twofold. One, the hero lackshis protective skin most of the time andtwo, the temporary form is only availableat a cost of -2CS to the Power rank.
The armor skin can take a variety ofappearances. There are four main types ofArmor Skin. Each has its own set ofcharacteristics. The player must select oneform when he first generates this Power.
Die Roll
01-35
36-6061-8586-00
Form
Leather
Rigid PlatesVisually InorganicInorganic
Leather—The epidermis retains itsnormal shape and flexibility but is harder
to the touch. The skin maintains itsnormal bodily functions without the needfor extensive changes. Androids areoften given this type of Armor Skin.Rigid plates—The body is covered ininterlinked plates like an insect's chitin oran armadillo's shell. The wrestler knownas the Armadillo is an example of thistype of Armor Skin.Visually Inorganic—The body can be anyshape but has the appearance ofnonorganic matter. The layering mayappear rocky, metallic, or any otherchoice of surface. The Thing's orangerock-like exterior is an example of this.Non-organic—The body actually iscovered in inorganic material. Unlike anexternally applied coating, this one isformed by modified cells in the hero'sepidermis.
In all of these forms, any damage thatis suffered is healed at normal rates bythe skin cells that underlie and supportthe specialized cells of the Armor Skin.
An Optional Power is Regeneration.
P2/Body Resistance: This is the form ofBody Armor most heroes want. Thehero's body is composed of apparentlynormal flesh. However, the tissue ofcapable of withstanding major damagewithout showing any effects. Theresistance covers physical and energyattacks only.
The Intensity rank number of the at-.tack is reduced by this Power's ranknumber. The remaining Intensity is theactual damage the hero suffers.
While the hero's skin shows the effectsof the tremendous abuse it suffers, atleast it heals quickly. The Power enablesthe epidermis to heal at a tenfold rate.
An Optional Power is Regeneration.
P3/Chemical Touch: The hero's bodysecretes chemicals that are capable of avariety of effects on a target. Thechemicals can be automatically orconsciously secreted. The player mustchoose when the Power is firstgenerated; there is an equal randomchance for each. If the hero possesses avariety of Touch Powers, then the herocan alter the nature of the secretedchemicals at will.
A Power Touch is created bycombining this Power with any otherPower the hero has. Each Touch Power
has Power rank Intensity and does rankdamage, regardless of the Touch Power'snature. The behavioral characteristics arethose of the original Power that wasincorporated into the Touch Power. Therange is always limited to Contact only.
A wide variety of Touch Powers arepossible, as this Power can combine withmost of the other entries in this book.The key to it is playability; if you canfigure out a rational explanation for agiven combination, the you should try it.This can generate a myriad of uniquePowers. Some possibilities include:
• Hallucinogenic: The touch incorporatesHallucinations to produce vivid buttotally false images in the target'smind. Fighting and Intuition drop -3CS.
• Bioluminescence: The Touchincorporates Light Generation to makethe target's body temporarily selfilluminating.
• Napalm Grip: The Touch incorporatesFire Generation to create fire oncontact.
• Boom Boxing: The Touch incorporatesCombustion to produce explosions oncontact.
The Nemesis is Phasing.
P4/Digestive Adaptability: The herocan swallow and digest any substancewithout harm. The digestive tract extractsuseful materials and synthesizes newones from the available material. Ingame "reality" this Power is aninternalized, automatic form of MatterConversion. Materials created by thisPower retain their new nature whilewithin the hero's body; upon expulsionthey revert to their original nature. In rarecases, the hero is a living filter who couldeventually convert all available matterinto useful forms.
The power also includes a +4CSresistance to liquid or solid toxins. Theseare simply resisted or converted into'useful materials. This Power includes anumber of physical adaptations toaccommodate it. The hero possesseshyperstrong teeth and jaws that permitbiting and swallowing any materials, aswell as resistance to internal damagecaused by the swallowed material.
There are two side-effects to thisPower. The first is the decrease of the
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hero's sense of taste. The second is that thehero's flesh is relatively poisonous, sincemuch of it may have been formed fromconverted materials that would revert to theiroriginal states after their removal from theliving hero's body. The hero would thus beimmune to a vampire's attack or could exactposthumous revenge on anything stupidenough to eat him.
If the hero has this Power on a temporarybasis (such as the result of a spell), anymatter conversions are permanent.
Optional Powers include Lung Adaptabilityand Body Adaptation.
P5/Hyper-Speed: The hero is capable ofextremely fast motion and may even surpasslight speed. Normally this Power includes aspecific resistance to friction and lungs thatare adapted to breathe high-velocity air. If thehero possesses a Travel Power, he canexchange this speed for that of the latterPower.
The Power can also be used to performtasks in greatly reduced time. The Power ranknumber is treated as a multiplier to show howmuch more quickly a specific task can beaccomplished by someone with this Power.For example, Typical rank moves four timesas fast, an Incredible rank moves 40 times asfast, and so on. When creating the character,the player can raise the rank +2CS byomitting the special adaptations for frictionand breathing. This is a dangerous thing,though, people (But what the heck -it's yourcharacter).
P6/Hypnotic Voice: The hero possesses avoice whose intrinsic qualities permit ahypnotic domination of the target's consciousand subconscious thoughts. The bulk of thehero's commands are sub-verbal in nature(it's not what she says, but how she says it).
The hero can effect anyone within thesound of her voice. The optimum effectoccurs within twenty feet of her location. ThePower decreases -1CS for each additionaltwenty feet. Everyone within range mustmake an Intuition FEAT in order to resistfalling under the effect of this Power. Failuremeans complete submission to the singer'scommand. Victims of the Power can make anew attempt to resist every ten turns.
The Power can be used for as long as thehero concentrates on it. If a victim getsbeyond the sound of the Hypnotic Voice, hecan attempt to resist every five turns. ThePower comes in two varieties, automatic anddeliberate. The automatic form is apermanent modification to the hero's voice.
Every time she speaks, the Power canfunction. The automatic form is a permanentmodification to the hero's voice. Every time shespeaks, the Power can function. The deliberateform requires the hero to consciously alter hisvoice to manifest his Power. The player mustchoose which for the hero has. The automaticform costs a decrease of -2CS to the Powerrank.
The Power's range can be extended bymechanical means like telephones and radio.Remote control has a decreased effectiveness of-2CS. Reproduction of the Hypnotic Voice is notquite as dangerous; the overall rank isdecreased -4CS.
The Power cannot control someone whocannot hear it. Deaf persons or those withaltered senses are immune. Soundproofing, loudnoises, and simply getting out of range areeffective tactics against the Power. The Powerhas -1CS effect on non-humans. (When creatingthe hero, the player can raise the Power rank+1CS by limiting its effect to members of theopposite sex. For example, Lorelei can onlyaffect men.)
P7/Lung Adaptability: The hero can breatheany gaseous or liquid medium without harm. Thelungs can extract required gases (oxygen forhumans) or even create them by convertingavailable elements. In game "reality" this Poweris an internalized, automatic form of MatterConversion. Gases created by this Power retaintheir new nature while still within the hero's body;upon exhalation they revert to their originalnature. In rare cases, the conversion ispermanent. In this case, the hero is a living filterwho could eventually convert all the localbreathing medium into a form beneficial to him.Any poisons are simply resisted or convertedinto useful materials.
Unfortunately, this Power also has thedrawback of decreasing the hero's senses oftaste and smell. Everything is bland to him.
P8/Pheromones: This is an aerosol version ofHypnotic Control. The hero's body can createand emit chemicals capable of altering a target'sbehavior. These chemicals vaporize instantly oncontact with air and are received by the target'snose. The complexity of the commands can varywith the rank of the Power. The hero can readilyaffect anyone within twenty feet of him. ThePower rank decreases -1CS with each additionaltwenty feet.
The Power cannot affect those unable to smellit. This includes would-be targets who areupwind, behind a force-field, have their own airsupply, don't breathe, or breathe but have nosense of smell.
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The Power cannot affect those unable to smellit. This includes would-be targets who areupwind, behind a force-field, have their own airsupply, don't breathe, or breathe but have nosense of smell. The last example includes a herowith the power of Lung Adaptability.
When the hero is created, the player mustdecide whether the Power functions automaticallyor deliberately. The automatic form lowers thePower rank -2CS.
P9/Molecular Instability: The hero’s body ismade up of unstable molecules making himimmune to physical harm, up to his power rank.The immunity includes the following resistances:fire, heat, cold, electricity, radiation, corrosives,disease, poison, brute force, sonics, and kineticbolts. The rank of the Molecular Instabilityreduces the rank of the attack (by column rankshifts).
Example: Dr. Doom’s Excellent laser would doonly Feeble Damage against Good MolecularInstability.
The hero with this Power is still Vulnerable tomagical and mental attacks. The hero’sAppearance is not affected by this power; Heappears to be a normal member of his race.
Optional Powers include Shapeshifting,Regeneration, and Immortality.
P10/Regeneration: The hero can rapidly recoverfrom any wound. Cuts quickly close and diseasesymptoms disappear. The hero heals at anaccelerated rate equal to the Power rank numbertimes the normal amount of time. For example, aTypical rank can heal six times as fast as normal,an Unearthly rank heals at a hundredfold rate,and so on. With time, the hero can re-grow largeareas of lost tissue, especially severed limbs.Lost limbs or organs require a red FEAT. Itcannot repair losses that resulted in the hero'sdeath unless the hero is revived. If such a fatalloss and subsequent revival occurs, the herorequires life-support equipment to give his Powertime to function.
P10/Self-Revival: The hero's Power is so strongthat it can repair fatal damage and actually returnthe hero to life. The power functions despite theabsence of life in the body. It repairs the majordamage and replaces lost tissues at the samerate as Regeneration above. When the body isreturned to minimum life sustaining condition, thehero comes back to life. This occurs despite anyintervening time in which the hero was dead; fromthe hero's point of view, no time has passed.
If the hero was dismembered, the RevivalPower is concentrated on the largest remainingsegment. The rest of the body decays normally.In rare cases, all body parts re-grow. Depending
POWER CONTROL
on the size of the segment, each attainsonly partial redevelopment of growth,intelligence, and power. Even rarer arethe cases where all the newly regrownbodies attain full development. Rarest ofall is the case where all the new bodiesshare a single mind. The Judge candecide if he wants to allow such rarecases to intrude on his tidy campaign.This power contains aspects of FreeSpirit and Matter Creation.
The color FEAT reflects the amount ofthe body available for the Power to workwith. A green FEAT means all the body ispresent aside from spilled blood. A yellowFEAT means all vital organs are present,although some of the less vital parts maystill be missing. A red FEAT is required ifat most one quarter of the original bodyis available. If less is available, Revivalcannot occur.
P11/Self-Sustenance: The hero cansurvive indefinitely without consuming air,water, or food. Bodily wastes are internallyrecycled back into useable materials.
Normally the hero would not need toreplenish himself when his powerreached its limit. He merely resumesnormal consumption habits (breathenormally, eat a light snack, etc.). This isthe permanent form of the power. Thetemporary form requires the hero toconsume mass quantities at the expir-ation of the Power. ("That's the fifteenthsteak you've eaten, Fred. How long didyou say it's been since you ate last?")The required intake is one-quarter whatthe hero would normally have consumedduring the time he was abstaining. Thehero can raise his Power rank +1CS byopting for the temporary form.
P13/Stealth: The hero can move in waysthat cannot be detected, whether whilemoving or if subjected to later tracking.When the hero uses Stealth, his rank issubtracted from the efforts of thosedetecting him.
Example: Shadowfox has ExcellentStealth. He cannot be detected byTypical means (that is less than Shift 0).Unfortunately, it's Wolverine who'stracking him with Monstrous ability.Shadowfox's Stealth lowers Wolverine'schance of finding him to merely Good.
P14/Suspended Animation: The herocan temporarily suspend all life functions
and enter a death-like trance. The herocan later return to life and normal activitywithout harm. During this period, the hero'sbody can be subjected to normally fatalconditions and not suffer any, unless thebody is actually damaged (say, a big rockfell on it). If this happens, the hero cannotreturn to life until the damage is repaired.
Under normal conditions, the hero canconsciously decide when to reawaken.This may be at the end of a predeter-mined length of time, or when certainconditions are met (like when hisspaceship has air in it again). Otherwise,the hero must be stimulated intoawakening by another person.
Rank determines the maximum lengthof time the hero can suspend animation.
P15/True Invulnerability: This is acombination of Resistances and BodyArmor. The hero is immune to anyphysical harm, up to his rank's limit.The immunity includes the followingresistances: fire, heat, cold, electricity,radiation, corrosives, disease, poison,brute force, sonics, and kinetic bolts. Therank of the Invulnerability reduces therank of the attack form.
Example: A Mandroid's Excellent laserwould do only Good damage againstGood Invulnerability, and none at allagainst Excellent Invulnerability.
The hero with this Power is stillvulnerable to magical and mentalattacks. If the hero should lose his TrueInvulnerability, his Fighting rank drops toTypical (he's not used to avoiding blows).
The hero's appearance is not affectedby this power; he appears to be a normalmember of his race.
P16/Vocal Control: This might beconsidered a Talent rather than a Power,but here goes anyway.
The hero has total control over his ownvoice and can use it to duplicate anydesired voice of sound. The accuracy ofthe simulated sound is 100% within thePower's limit (determined by rank) on agreen FEAT. Exceeding the limit requiresa higher.-FEAT. The hero can imitateSonic Powers that will have most of theeffectiveness of the original. The rank forsuch mimicked Powers is -1CS of theoriginal's rank.
P17/Waterbreathing: This may be a"wimp Power," but it would be
embarrassing for an extremely powerfulcharacter to drown while a relativelywimpish water breather went unharmed.
When creating the character, theplayer can substitute any other breathingmedium for water. This is often the casewhen creating an alien character, suchas one who breathes liquid methane.This power may be permanent ortemporary. Characters with thepermanent form have a decreasedresistance to heat and aridity. A saunamight be a death trap. The hero is -1CSto resist and takes +1CS damage.
P18/Water Freedom: The hero's body isadapted for movement in the water. Thehero can move through water with thesame ease that normal beings can movethrough air. One method of accom-plishing this is the presence of a body-coating that reduces the effects of waterresistance. The more common method isthe hero is extraordinarily strong andswift in order to compensate for waterresistance. This permits him to functionnormally, even at great depths. If such aperson were on the surface, his extrastrength and speed would be evident(+2CS Strength and Endurance).Unfortunately, since the hero is normallymoving in water, he overcompensates ondry land (-2CS Agility).
Water Freedom also negates theeffects of great pressure and allows thehero to travel to the depths of the oceanswithout harm.
Note: This power does notautomatically include Water-Breathing.The player can choose that as a bonuspower if he so wishes.
Power Control Powers
This somewhat redundant title refers to
a class of Powers that directly affect theway other Powers function. These"Macro-Powers" can only affect raw orapplied Power and the beings whopossess Power. They have no directeffect on normal, Power-less people.The exception to this are the Macro-Powers that can create new Powers inheretofore normal people. Some ofthese Powers will probably be limited toNPCs or high level heroes; this is up toindividual Judges.
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PC1/Control: The hero can alter thebehavior of pure Power, whether it is in araw or applied state. The hero can controlthe actions of any Powers within hisrange and capability. If the Power is freeof a living super-being's body, thatPower's rank determines what IntensityFEAT is required. If the Power isinternalized within a living super-being,the necessary FEAT is determined by thatbeing's Psyche. If Control is achieved, itaffects the entire rank of that Power.
The range at which the hero can exertcontrol is determined by his own Powerrank number. Distances are shown oncolumn A of the Range Table.
The Macro-Power can affect either aspecific type of Power within a specificarea, regardless of how manysuperbeings are affected, or all thePowers possessed by a specific being.The duration of the Control lasts amaximum number of minutes equal to thePower rank number. After the expirationof the Control, it must be reestablished.This can be done indefinitely.
Control is normally directed in astraight line. If the hero wishes an areaeffect, the sphere he creates has aradius equal to -4CS range. Forexample, Excellent Control can beexerted on a target six areas away or becontracted into a field that only surroundsthe hero's body.
There are three forms of Control. Atleast one form must be chosen when thehero is created. This is initially at fullstrength. If the player wants the hero tohave more forms, each additional formdecreases all Control ranks by -1CS.
Die Roll
01-40
41-7071-00
Form
Manipulation
Magnification/ReductionNegation
Manipulation—The hero can alter theflow and application of Power. He canchange the direction of a Power with agreen FEAT. He can alter the effects of aPower by a yellow FEAT. He cancompletely change the nature of a Powerby a red FEAT. The hero need notactually possess the Power that the oldone was transformed into, but the newone should be something harmless toboth combatants.
Magnification/Reduction—The hero caneither increase or decrease the rank ofthe affected Power by his Macro-Power's rank number. Unfortunately, the onething the hero cannot affect his ownpowers' ranks.Negation—The hero can completelydispel any Powers within his range.Things affected by Powers revert to theiroriginal states. Super-beings are reducedto Normal Humans (or whatever). Theworst effect is on beings who need Powerto physically survive. To them, the loss ofPower is damaging and possibly fatal.
Undesired Control can be avoided byDodging a directed attack, moving out ofthe Control's range, or by the use of suchPowers as this one, Force Field vs.Power Manipulation, and Resistance toPower Manipulation. Successfulresistance means the would-be victimretains his Powers, at least for now.
PC2/Creation: The hero has the abilityto create new Powers and invest theminto sentient beings for their own use.The new Powers can be of any natureand can be any of the listings in thisbook.
The hero is limited in the number andranks of the Powers he can create. Thevariety extends beyond his own innatePowers. The Power rank number is themaximum number of different Powers hecan create. This number always includesthose Powers the hero has. The playerand Judge need to work together todetermine what Powers are actuallypresent in this Macro-power.
The Powers the hero bestows arenowhere near as highly ranked as thehero's own Powers. New Powers areinitially -3CS lower than this Power'srank. This can be later increased by therecipient.
The length the Powers remain isdetermined by the hero's Reason. Agreen Reason FEAT gives a duration ofone day times the Reason rank number.A yellow FEAT increases that to 10 daystimes the Reason rank number. A redFEAT means the Power is permanent.
Judges may want to forbid this Powerto any player characters or restrict it tohigh level characters. In such a case, theplayer should roll for a new Power.
The Nemesis is PowerControl/Negation.
PC3/Domination: This is a form of MindControl. The hero can control the actionsof other super-beings in regards to theuse of their own Powers. The hero canforce the victim to use his Powers in anymanner the hero desires. The herocannot alter the actual characteristics ofthe other's Power's.
The Macro-Power pits this Power'srank against the victim's Psyche. ThePsyche determines what Intensity FEATis required.
The range at which the hero can exertDomination varies with his Power rankand the number of beings that arecontrolled. The range for Dominating asingle being is shown on column A of theRange Table. Each additional superbeingthe hero Dominates decreases theoverall rank -1CS. The duration is aslong as the hero can maintain hisconcentration.
If the victim fails his initial resistance,he can try again every ten turns bymaking a Psyche FEAT based on thisPower's rank.
Normal, Power-less beings arecompletely unaffected by this Power
If the victim is cooperative, Dominationis automatic. Domination can be thwartedby such Powers as Force Field vs.Mental Attack, Resistance to MentalAttack, and Power Control.
Optional Powers include Mind Controland Magic Domination.
The Nemesis is an Enhanced Psychestring enough to resist Domination.
PC4/Duplication: If the hero acquiresthis Power, the player should immed-iately set aside all his previouslygenerated Powers and not roll anymore. The hero can use his Macro-Power to duplicate the characteristicsof any other Power. The Power ranksfor the duplicated Powers is equal tothe MacroPower's own rank. SuchPowers remain as long as the heroconcentrates on maintaining theirexistence. Unfortunately, the hero canonly Duplicate a single Power at anyone time. Switching Powers takesthree turns.
The hero must be exposed to a Powerin order to later duplicate it. Such Powersmust be used within 10 feet of the hero.A green FEAT enables the hero to storethe Power for later duplication.
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It is assumed the hero has beenexposed to others' Powers at some pointin his past. Initially the character has alimited number of Powers he has alreadyencountered; these are represented byPowers already generated but set aside.If this was the first Power the herogenerated, then randomly generate asingle Power.
The hero rapidly gains Powers byduplicating those of companions or foes.Since the Power must be used, foes canbe a hazardous source of new Powers.
The hero has a finite number ofPowers he can duplicate. The maximumnumber is equal to his Power ranknumber. If the hero exceeds the limit, thenew Power replaces an old one.
The act of analyzing a Power for laterduplication takes three turns. In no waydoes this affect the source of the Power.
The hero can develop a Power Stunt thatenables him to duplicate Talents as well.
The Nemesis is Mind Drain.
PC5/Energy Source: The hero drawshis Powers from a special source thatprovides him with all the energy he canhandle. As long as the hero can maintainhis link with this source, he can continueto use his Powers. The nature of thesource and its link varies with each hero.If the source is small enough, the heromay be required to carry it with him. Ifnot, perhaps the hero needs toperiodically return to the source or forgean ethereal Power cord that links him tohis Source despite any interveningdistance. The Judge and player need towork together to produce a playablesource and link.
If the link is severed or the sourcedestroyed, the Mage is left with a finitesupply of energy left. The amount of rawPower left is the number of points equalto his Psyche rank. Each time he usesPower, he decreases the reservoir bythat Power's rank number. Obviously, it iswithin the hero's best interests to renewhis link or rebuild his source in as littletime as possible.
As you are beginning to suspect, thisisn't really a Power and is more of a re-straint. You're right. If you roll this Power,go ahead and roll an additional Power.
PC6/Energy Source Creation: This isanother Power the Judge may want to
restrict to NPCs or high level heroes. Thehero can create items that can in turnprovide Powers to other people.
The hero is able to charge a targetwith raw Power. The target must be non-living or non-sentient. The target istransformed into a battery that canharmlessly store raw Power indefinitelyuntil needed by the target's newpossessor. The hero can store anyPower except this one. If the hero isworking in conjunction with anothersuper-being, the Powers of this otherbeing can also be stored with the target.
The Macro-Power can store amaximum number of spells equal to thisPower's rank number. The maximumnumber of total rank numbers is equal tothis Power's rank number as well.
The hero must be in contact with thetarget in order to fully charge it. If hedoes not make contact, the ranks for allspells to be bestowed drop -1CS foreach ten feet separating hero and target.
The act of creating an Energy Sourcecan be disrupted by a variety of factors.The presence of a Psyche within thetarget prevents this Macro-Power fromaffecting it. Removing the target fromrange stops the process of creation. TheMacro-Power can be blocked by suchPowers as Force Field vs. PowerManipulation, Resistance to PowerManipulation, Power Control, and PowerDomination.
When the hero creates a new PowerSource, he must state what conditionsare necessary to release the Powers in acontrolled manner.
When the Energy Source is depletedor destroyed, the item reverts to itsoriginal state.
PC7/Focus: The hero can channel all hisraw energy into a single burst of achosen Ability or Power. All his Powerand Ability rank numbers are totaledtogether. This rank number replaces therank number for a chosen Power. Uponthe completion of releasing the Power, allthe hero's Abilities and Powerstemporarily drop to Feeble. This Power'srank number is the total amount of lostpoints the hero can regain each turn.Points are divided evenly between all thedepleted Abilities and Powers. (Okay, thisisn't really a Power either. Roll again foran additional Power.)
PC8/Gestalt: Two or more users cancombine to create a new Power. ThePower can be of any nature; its Powerrank is equal to this one. When the playergenerates this Power, he must first selectanother player's character with whom hishero forms the Gestalt. Second, bothplayers must randomly determine whatthe Gestalt-created Power actually is. Rollfor additional Power; this is the Gestalt.
The best example of Gestalt Power inthe Marvel Universe was the Beaubiertwins, Aurora and Northstar, who couldgenerate Monstrous Intensity Light whenthey touched.
PC9/Nemesis: When this Power is firstgenerated, it replaces all other Powersthe hero might have other had. If a herois clever, then no other Powers areneeded. The basis for Nemesis is theability to automatically analyze anopponent's Powers and Weakness. Thehero then instantly generates a Powerthat can defeat the opponent. The newlycreated Power can be a +1CS version ofthe opponent's Power or is an opposingPower. The nature of the NemesisPowers varies with each opponent. Theonly Power that a Nemesis cannotGenerate is Power Control/Negation.
Analyzing an opponent takes one turn.Designing a suitable Power and infusinginto the hero's body takes two turns.Switching opponents causes anadditional delay of seven turns, Theopponent must be with 10 feet of thehero for analysis to occur; this can beextended to 100 feet if the opponent isthe only superbeing in the area.
This Macro-power's rank determinesthe maximum Power rank of a generatedPower. When facing a foe of greaterstrength, the player must select a Powerthat can still prevail, despite the disparity.
Nemesis has two inherentweaknesses. The first is that the Macro-Power can only cope with a singleopponent's Powers at one time. Thesecond problem is that the Macro-Poweris helpless against Powerless people. Ifthere is no Power to overcome, then itcannot generate a Power. BecauseNemesis possessing heroes tend tooverly rely on their Macro-Power, theytend to be a little rusty when it comes toFighting normal people. DecreaseFighting's rank -2CS for such cases.
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PC10/Power Transferral: The hero cantransfer some or all of his Powers toanother sentient being. The transferralcan be any combination of Powers andranks. Only this Power cannot be,transferred. Each transferred Power rankdiminishes the hero's own rank for thatPower. A single Power can be transferredeach turn.
The optimum range for Power Trans-ferral is contact. Each ten feet thatseparates the hero and recipientdecreases both the recipient's and hero'sPower ranks -1CS. If the hero wants tosimultaneously transfer Power to two ormore recipients, he simply divides theranks between them.
The duration of the loan varies with theReason rank of the hero and the FEATmade at the time of transferral. A greenReason FEAT gives a duration of 100turns times the Reason rank number. Ayellow FEAT increases that to 10,000turns times the Reason rank number. Ared FEAT changes the loan to apermanent grant.
Most recipients tend to believe thatsuddenly receiving Power is in their bestinterest and thus the recipient cooperatesin any way he can. Still, if the recipientwants to resist this Macro-Power, he cando so by moving out of range or blockingit by such Powers as Force Field vs.Power Manipulation, Resistance toPower Manipulation, and Power Control.
Optional Powers include MindTransferral and Magic Transferral.
The Nemesis is Force Field vs. PowerManipulation.
PC11/Power Vampirism: The PowerVampire can drain the raw Power from avictim and convert that energy into extraStrength, Endurance, Psyche, and ranksfor other Powers the Vampire has.
The Power Vampire can force anonliving, non-sentient target to releaseall its raw Power. He must make anIntensity FEAT equal to the highestranked Power the target possesses. Adrained item reverts to its original state.
Living or sentient beings are harder todrain. The victim's Psyche determineswhat Intensity FEAT is required. Asuccessful FEAT enables the Vampire todrain Power from the victim. The amountof raw Power equal to this Power's ranknumber is drawn in equal portions from
all the victim's Powers. The process offeeding can continue indefinitely, as longas the vampire makes successful FEATs.Each turn drains another rank's worth ofPower.
The Vampire can voluntarily ceasefeeding at any time by making a PsycheFEAT of any color except red. A redFEAT means the hero has entered anuncontrollable feeding frenzy that canonly stop when the victim is drained orthe Vampire is repulsed.
If the Vampire fails to make a FEAT atany point in the feeding process, he isimmediately repulsed from the victim andcan never resume the attack. The victimgains an instant immunity to any futureVampiric attacks by that being.
The Power the Vampire absorbs isused to increase his own Strength,Endurance, Psyche, and Powers. Theincrease in equal amounts to all theadjustable Abilities. The exception is thisPower, as no Vampire can increase hisown Vampiric Power.
Power Vampires lose energy at adepressing rate. The rank numbers forStrength, Endurance, Psyche, and allPowers except this one decrease onepoint per hour. The Power Vampire mustfeed to survive.
A Power Vampire cannot actuallystarve to death if denied a sufficientsupply of victims. When all his affectedAbilities reach Shift-0, the Vampire fallsinto a coma. His Power Vampirismcontinues to function and tries to drainanyone who comes within a foot of thebody. When the Power Vampire's abilitiesreturn to Feeble rank, the Vampirereturns to life.
When creating a Power Vampire, theplayer must choose a Weakness. Theplayer can raise his Power rank +1CS foreach additional Weaknesses hechooses, up to a total of fourWeaknesses.
Power Vampirism is communicable. Aliving or sentient being who was com-pletely drained by a Power Vampire mustmake a Psyche FEAT roll. A red FEATmeans the victim has himself been trans-formed into a Feeble Power Vampire.
The Nemesis is a Psyche temporarilyraised 2CS higher than the vampire's rank.
PC12/Residual Absorption: The herocan duplicate a Power by absorbing the
traces left behind whenever a Power isused. The residue may be in anythingthat was near or the target of a Power'semission.
The Power rank determines what therank is for any Powers created in thisway. The duration of the borrowedPowers is determined by the hero'sReason. A green Reason FEAT gives aduration equal to the Reason rank times100 turns. A yellow FEAT raises that to10,000 turns times the Reason ranknumber. A red FEAT increases that topermanence.
The average amount of residuebearing material is about the size of abreadloaf. It is completely drained after asingle use.
PC13/Selection: The hero can possessany number of Powers but can only usea single one at a given time. Switchingbetween Powers takes three turns.
When the player generates this Power,he gets to generate an additional Poweras well.
PC14/Weakness Creation: The herocan bestow a weakness on a victim thatis just as dangerous as if the victim asalways possessed that Weakness.
The hero must make a Power FEATwhose Intensity is determined by thevictim's Psyche. Success means thehero has temporarily mangled thevictim's physiology and given him a newWeakness. The player randomlygenerates the nature of the Weaknessusing the Tables in the early sections ofthis book.
The duration of the Weakness isdetermined by a separate Reason FEATmade at the time the Weakness iscreated. A green FEAT gives a durationof 10 turns times the Reason ranknumber. A yellow FEAT increases that to1000 turns times the Reason ranknumber. A red FEAT further increasesthat to 10,000 turns times the Reasonrank number.
At the expiration of the duration, thevictim returns to normal, unless he hasdied in such a way he cannot be revived.
This is the final Power that Judgesshould probably restrict to NPCs or highlevel characters.
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SELF-ALTERATION
Self-Alteration Powers
S1/Age-Shifting: The hero can alter his
apparent age at will, His body andphysiology change to simulate any age,younger or older. Mental facilities remainunaffected (in other words, you really canhave a 10-year-old mind in a 30-year-oldbody). When creating the hero, theplayer can opt to link the hero's otherphysical Powers to a different physicalage. For instance, Jon's hero can be a 10-year-old boy who has the ability tobecome a 25-year-old with the Powersof. Flight, Shadowcasting, and Telepathy.
Rank determines the apparent numberof years the hero can Age-Shift. Normally,a character cannot voluntarily Age-Shift toan age younger than a newborn, sincethis is definitely suicidal. This barrier canbe passed of the hero's Power is beingcontrolled by an outside force.
S2/Alter Ego: The hero has two differentforms. One is a normal, powerless being;the other is the powerful, heroic self.When creating the hero, the player has tocreate two different beings. The statisticsfor the primary self should be fairlyroutine (all physical abilities ranging fromFeeble to Good). All bets are off for theheroic self. Something many peoplenever consider is that the heroic selfmight be a relatively normal human, whilethe normal self is something a little loweron the evolutionary ladder. For example,you might try a character whose normalself is a mutant dog (why should humanshave all the deviant fun?).
The two selves never co-exist exceptunder extraordinary circumstances.Possible causes of simultaneousexistence include time warps, cloning,and Lifeform Creation. The two selvesmay even be separated for an extendedtime, such as what happened to BruceBanner and the Hulk.
The primary drawback to this Power isthe uncontrolled reversion to the normalself, especially when it occurs during direcircumstances. For example, Mightimanis rescuing a sub from the ocean floorwhen he reverts to his other self, littleEddy Edwards. ("Can you say 'fish food?'Sure you can.")
Variations include automatic or voluntarytransformation, duration, and shared mindsversus semi-independent mentalities.
S3/Anatomical Separation: This is themost grotesque Power available but ithas its advantages nevertheless. Withthis Power the hero can spontaneouslyand harmlessly separate his body intoindependently functioning segments.Physiological functions like blood flowand neural activity continue in the samemanner as if the body were whole.Detached parts cannot regenerate if the -body is destroyed unless the hero has aregenerative Power. If any detached partJS: damaged or destroyed, the herosuffers the normal damage; his body alsoreassembles immediately, if possible.
The practical basis for this is the powerof Gateway/Spacewarp targeted on thehero's own body. In "game reality" thehero forms two parallel Spacewarps atthe desired point of detachment, thenshifts the location of the outer warp. Theperceived result is that part of the hero'sbody detaches and flies off on its own.
Normally, the majority of the hero'sbody acts as an anchor and cannot bemoved by shifting the Spacewarps. Thehero can develop Power stunts withwhich he can transport himself. (Example:the hero sends out a hand to grab onto adistant object and then pulls himself to it.)Detached segments can travel at Powerrank speed for Land/Water movement;involuntary reattachment due to injury isinstantaneous. The maximum range andduration of detachment are also based onthe Power rank. Each additionaldetachment decreases the range andduration by -1CS, for a cumulative effect.
Movementin Areas
RankFEPRTYGDEXRMIN
AMMNUNXYZ
CL1000CL3000CL5000
per Turn123456789
101214163250
100
Range2468
10152025304050
100200500
1,0002,000
Duration1 minute
2 minutes4 minutes8 minutes
15 minutes30 minutes
1 hour2 hours4 hours8 hours
1 day2 days4 days
10 days20 days40 days
If a single detached segment isprevented from returning to the body atthe end of the duration, the rest of thehero's body is instantly drawn to themissing piece. Any intervening barrier isdestroyed, doing damage to the heroappropriate to the barrier.
If there are two or more missing parts,the rest of the hero's body is instantlydrawn to a point midway between them.From there he can move freely in orderto recover himself. He loses 1 point ofHealth for each 10 turns he remainsapart. Upon reattaching the next-to-lastpart, he is instantly drawn to the last part.
Separating the legs from the torsodoes not cause the hero to fall. Rather,the torso can move freely about on itsown, at normal movements rates forLand/Water.
Despite a player's misgivings, thisPower lends itself to several usefulPower stunts. A self-propelled swordarmis handy in a fight. A hero facing a toxiccloud could leave his nose behind. ThePower provides +1CS protection againstedged weapon attacks; a blade cannotsever something already detached. It isalso a great Power for a macabre senseof humor.
Due to the nature of this Power, the herohas a special vulnerability to attacks thatdisrupt his own Spacewarp. These includeGateway, Dimension Travel, any of theTeleportation forms, and any Power-affecting Powers (+2CS for the attacker).
S4/Animal Transformation-Self: Thehero can alter his appearance, form, anddimensions to appear as any desiredanimal form. This Power can also beused to assume alien appearances (butnot humanoid aliens). The only limitationis that the hero's basic physiologyremains unchanged.
S5/Animal Mimicry: This is a form ofPower Duplication. The hero canduplicate the natural abilities of anyanimal. The hero's body does notsignificantly change; instead, existingflesh changes the way it functions. Forinstance, perhaps th e lungs can nowbreathe water. The rank determines asuccessful duplication. Normal animalstake a Typical Intensity FEAT, aliens aGood Intensity FEAT, and magicalcreatures need an Unearthly Intensity
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FEAT. Should the hero wish to duplicatean imaginary animal or being, he mustmake a Class 1000 Intensity FEAT.Duration ranges from one minute toindefinite.
S6/Blending: The hero has the ability tomatch his color exactly to hissurroundings. This Power functions as apractical invisibility. The body's outlineand contours are still detectable if theobserver is very careful. The Power ismost effective if the hero is in low light orat a distance from the viewer.
Variables include speed andcomplexity of color change, and whetherthe Power is automatic or voluntary.
S7/Body Adaptation: This is related toLife Support.
The hero's body automatically adaptsits physiology to enable it to survive inhostile environments. Unlike many of theother Powers that also permit this, BodyAdaptation physically changes the hero'sbody. This Power involves automaticallyfunctioning versions of BodyTransformation and Shapeshifting. ThePower changes the hero into a form thathas primary abilities proportional to thenew environment. Example: An Adaptinghero in a heavy-gravity world might nowpossess Monstrous Strength, but so doall the natives.
Note: If the hero possesses a Strengthrank greater than Typical, that CS is car-ried over into the new situation. In theabove example, if the hero possessedRemarkable Strength on Earth, he posses-ses Shift Y Strength on the heavy world.
The hero can completely adapt in oneto ten turns, depending on the degree ofdifference between the new and homeenvironments (Judge's discretion).
The adaptation may provide the herowith new ways to move. On a waterworld, the hero might sprout fins.
There is only one adaptation for eachtype of environment, and it is triggeredautomatically by the hero's entrance intothe new environment. The Power cannotprovide the hero with protection againsthazards that suddenly occur; a primeexample is the hero failing from a greatheight. This is a hazardous situation, butnot a hazardous environment.
When adaptation occurs, the herogains the subconscious knowledge of
how to use the new adaptations forsurvival. If not, we waste game timewhile the hero learns to breathe. At ShiftX, the hero can consciously control themanner of adaptation.
S8/Body Transformation-Self: The herocan alter the nature of elements andcompounds within his own body. Innatesafeguards in this Power maintain thehero's lifeforce in any altered state.Altered states may not necessarily bemobile, or may move in new ways. (AtFE and PR ranks, the hero is immobile.)
Note: The safeguards that protect thehero might be disrupted or not included ifanother hero tries to duplicate thisPower. In such cases, use of this Powermay be instantly fatal! While in an alteredstate, the hero has a special vulnerabilityto attacks menacing that form. If theAbsorbing Man transformed himself intopaper while fighting the Human Torch
While in a solid altered state, the heroretains his overall normal appearance. Ifliquid or gaseous, he can assume anyshape and still reform into his originalappearance at the cessation of the Power.
Normally, the hero must transform hisentire body into the desired material. Hecan transform himself into multiplematerials or transform specific parts ofhimself at a cost of -1CS.
S9/Body Coating: The hero cansurround himself with a flexible layer of aprotective substance not normally foundon his body. The body coat providesprotection and allows the hero'sPower(s) to manifest (i.e., if the bodycoat is not present, the hero cannot usehis other Powers). Damage to the bodycoating is not carried over to the hero'sown Health; no points are lost evenwhen the coating is completelydestroyed. Any damage to the coatingcan be quickly repaired by the hero'sbody secreting more of the coatingmaterial. The degree of protection andthe speed of repair to the coating aredetermined by the Power rank.
The coating can be of any onesubstance. When creating the hero, theplayer must determine the nature of theBody Coating material. Commonexamples include ice, iron, steel, copper,rock, wood, and insulation. Each materialhas its own characteristics.
If the player rolls this Power more thanonce when creating the hero, the playermay opt for a variety of coatings orincrease the rank of -the first coating by+1CS, cumulative.
When coated, the hero is vulnerable toattacks against that specific material, likeflame against wood, electricity againstmetal, -or sudden thermal changeagainst rock. Variables include thematerial strength of the coating, itsnormal duration, the speed of creation,the rate of replenishment, and the effectson the body.
The Body Coating Power gives thehero an added vulnerability to relevantMatter Control Powers. When the coatinghas reached its duration limit or is no -longer needed, it simply flakes off thehero, s body and quickly disperses asdust or vapor.
If an opponent has the ability to negatethe coating's flexibility (through MatterControl, Power Control, or Magic), thehero is paralyzed until he can remove thecoating or until it reaches its duration.
S10/Bouncing Ball: This is a specializedform of Shapeshifting. The hero cantransform his body into a resilient sphere,apparently transforming his body into aballoon-like caricature of himself. Heroeswith this power are rarely taken seriously,but—despite the image problem—thispower offers substantial benefits to thehero. While he is inflated, the bouncercan travel at power rank speed. HisFighting rank is increased by this power'srank number. He has +3CS resistance toblunt physical attacks. On the down side,he also has a -2CS resistance to slashingattacks. In a given situation, the bouncercan maintain this power for the number ofturns up to his power rank number beforehe has to deflate and rest. After 10 turns,he can then reinflate himself.
S11/Chemical Mimicry: This is re latedto both S7/Body Transformation-Self andto Power Duplication. The hero canduplicate the chemical properties of anyelement or compound without his ownbody actually changing in composition.The hero's flesh simply acts as if it werethe desired substance.
Obviously the hero retains his solidity,even when duplicating the properties of aliquid or gas. Depending on the desired
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effect, the range of his chemical powervaries from contact to one area.
Tracking the hero by smell is difficultbecause his scent changes with eachmimicry (-4CS to tracking ability).
S12/Elongation: This is a specializedform of Shapeshifting. The hero cantemporarily increase the length of anypart or his body without losing leverageor strength. The hero can elongate anysingle part a maximum number of yardsequal to his power rank number. If two ormore parts are elongated, this limit is thetotal combined length for all partsconcerned. The hand counts as part ofthe arm unless the hero is specificallyelongating his fingers; in this case, themaximum is divided by the number offingers elongated. For example, Mr.Fantastic is usually shown elongating anarm with a normal hand at the end of it;this gives him a greater reach than if heelongated his hand instead. The herocan maintain any single act of Elongationfor a number of turns up to his powerrank number.
This power is primarily used by heroeslike Mr. Fantastic to extend their reach orstride. Other heroes might also use thepower to elongate body parts like thenose, ears, or eyes. This useful, albeitgrotesque, tactic enables the hero to usehis nose as a snorkel, his eyes asperiscopes, and to eavesdrop on a roomseveral floors away by sending his earthrough the ceiling vent. The optionalpower is Plasticity.
S13/Energy Body: The hero cantransform his body into a coherentenergy field that supports his lifeforceand is capable of controlled actions. Theenergy can be of any type (see theEnergy Emission listings).
When creating the character, theplayer determines the nature of theenergy into which the hero can turn. Therank determines the number of possibleenergy types. The rank for each energytype is originally Good; this is modifiedby the Ability Modifier Table found onpage 6 of the Player's Book. Each Poweris rolled separately. Thus, a hero mighthave a Poor sound-form and anIncredible radiation-form. Damage to theEnergy Body is the same as damage tothe normal body. The Energy Body is
subject to anything that would affectenergy of its type. The hero makes astandard Resistance roll to determinesuch effects on the Energy Body. Thehero may find himself confined in astorage field while in energy-form. If so,he must make a red FEAT to attempt torevert to normal. If he fails, he mustescape in his energy form.
The Energy Body is a relativelyunlimited supply of that particular energytype. The hero can expend greatamounts of it and still be able to return tonormal. Completely depleting the EnergyBody requires a red FEAT rolled by theJudge or an adversary. The hero canalso ab s orb existing energy of hischosen type to replenish himself.
This Power includes the relevant formof Energy Control and Emission for thepurpose of controlling the energy withinthe body.
S14/Energy Sheath: The hero cansurround himself with an energy field.This field provides protection, lifesupport, and a means of manifesting thehero's other Powers. The energy fieldcan be of any type (see the EnergyEmis sion section for available types).Each energy field has its owncharacteristics that affect the ways thehero can use the Power.
Only one Energy Sheath can be usedat a time. The hero may possess severalpossible Energy Sheathes. The originalrank for each is Good; this can bemodified by the Ability Modifier Table onpage 6 in the Player's Book. Each Poweris rolled separately. Thus a hero mightpossess a Poor Sonic Sheath and anIncredible Vibration Sheath.
Damage to the Sheath does not affectthe hero's Health. If the Sheath isdestroyed, the hero. must make a redFEAT to regain it. Possible ways ofdestroying a Sheath include EnergyControl and Conversion, Power Control,and Magic. When the hero is using thisPower, he has a special vulnerability toEnergy Control and Conversion Powersthat can affect his type of EnergySheath (-2CS). However, he also has+2CS Resistance to attacks using thesame energy form as his Sheath. Forthe duration of the Sheath, it isassumed to be made of an infinitesupply of that energy. (Otherwise, the
character bookkeeping would be anightmare. "Let's see, if I throw afireball, that's gonna cost five minutes ofpower")
When creating the hero, the player canopt to replace one of the other Powerswith a Transportation Power. The playercan also replace other Powers with theappropriate Energy Emission and ControlPowers, if he so chooses.
S15/Evolution: The hero can alter hismind and body to simulate any stage ofthe evolutionary path of his species.Note: This is "comic book" evolution,folks, the kind where superstrongcavemen eventually evolve into giantbrains with vestigial limbs. If the heropossesses other Powers, the player maydivide them among different evolutionarystages. For example, the caveman getsthe physical Powers while the giant braingets the mental ones.
Rank determines the duration of theassumed stages.
For the caveman, drop the Reason,Intuition, and Psyche, but raise theFighting, Agility, Strength, andEndurance. For the giant brain, reversethe process and raise the Reason,Intuition, and ' Psyche. In both cases, thedecreased abilities drop to Feeble, whilethe other abilities are raised acorresponding number of ranks. Dividethe ranks as evenly as possible.
Each stage also has intrinsic advan-tages. The caveman possesses TypicalTracking, while the giant brain possessesTypical Telekinesis and True Flight.
S16/Growth: This is a self-directed formof MC6/Enlargement. The hero can temp-orarily increase his physical size at will. Ashe grows, the hero becomes an easiertarget. The bonuses to be hit, given inTable 3, are not cumulative. There arethree ways the power can be attained:Atomic Dispersal, Atomic Gain, and At-omic Growth. The player randomly deter-mines the method when he creates thecharacter or when the character first gainsthis power, using the subtable below.
Die roll
01-25
26-7576-00
Form
Atomic Dispersal
Atomic GainAtomic Growth
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Atomic Dispersal—the hero increasesthe distance between his own atoms,thus increasing his overall size. Hismass remains the same no matter howlarge he becomes. The hero alsobecomes increasingly fragile; his body'smaterial strength decreases -1CS witheach doubling in size. At Shift X rank,the body becomes less dense than air.At CL1000 rank, the hero becomesintangible and can Phase throughnormal matter.Atomic Gain—enables the hero tosomehow create or gain new atoms andincorporate them into his atomicstructure. As the hero gains new matter,his size and mass increase as well. Asthe hero grows, his strength increases+1CS for each +2CS of growth. Thehero's Primary and Secondary abilitiesare unaffected. However, Health seemsto increase because physical attacks doless relative damage. Bullets, forexample, would be nothing more thangrains of high-velocity sand to a gianthero. Note that when the hero returns tohis original size, wounds decrease insize—but imbedded bullets and otherobjects do not!Atomic Growth—enables the hero toincrease the size of his own atoms, thusincreasing his overall size and mass.The hero's strength increases onlyenough to enable him to move his ownbody; lifting strength does not increase.This form of Growth has a dangerousside effect. As the hero's atoms grow,they are unable to interact with normalatoms. The hero is unable to breathe,drink, or eat normal matter. Fortunately,there is a 95% chance (determined atthe time the hero is created) that thepower envelops the hero's body in afield that temporarily increases the sizeof consumed matter. Note that this is theonly form of growth that will enable thehero to travel into macroverses or, if thehero is originally from a microverse,enable the hero to reach our ownuniverse.
The nemesis is MC4/Diminution; thespecific nemeses for each form are, inorder: Atomic Collapse, AtomicReduction, and Atomic Shrinkage (seeShrinking).
The following details to-hit bonusesagainst Growth-using characters:
Rank
FE
PRTYGDEXRMINAMMNUNXYZCL1000CL3000CL5000
Size
1.5x
2x3x4x6x8x
10x12x15x20x50x
100x200x500x
1000x10,000x
ResultantBonus to be hit
+1CS
+1CS+1CS+1CS+1CS+2CS+2CS+2CS+3CS+3CS+3CS+3CS+3CS+4CS+5CS+6CS
S17/Imitation-Face Changer: The herocan change his superficial appearancebut cannot alter his basic form ordimensions. The hero has consciouscontrol over the movement andplacement of muscles, cartilage, andminor bones (nose, fingers, cheeks) andcan alter the color and appearance of hisskin and hair.
The hero can use this Power toassume any human appearance,provided the desired shape roughlymatches his own. Examples: A childcould imitate other children, midgets, anddwarves. A thin man could not imitateSydney Greenstreet.
S18/Imitation-Human Changeling: Thehero can alter his appearance, form, anddimensions to appear in any desiredhuman or humanoid shape. The heromay either imitate a known being orassume a created appearance.
This Power does not allow the hero toimitate Powers, Talents, or mannerisms.
S19/Invisibility: With this Power a herocan render himself undetectable bynormal, consciously willed sight. Thereare four very different means ofaccomplishing this effect. Each form hasunique characteristics regarding suchfactors as the area made invisible,protection against light-based attacks,mechanical detection, and detection byother means.
Physics: This is the form possessed bySue Richards. The hero's body is totally
transparent to the visible light spectrum.He cannot be mechanically detected orrecorded (i.e. by photography ortelevision) and is immune to attacksusing visible light (lasers, mostly). AtGood rank and higher, the invisibilityrange can be extended to cover othersections of the energy spectrum (infraredand ultraviolet light, radiowaves, hardradiation); this also bestows immunity toattacks using these forms. At theselevels the hero can also extend the areaof invisibility beyond his body. Thispermits the hero to protect others and,more importantly, to wear clothing. (H.G.Wells' Invisible Man was unable to evenconceal undigested food within his body.)
Telepathic: The hero is actually visiblebut is ignored and immediately forgottenby beings who would otherwise becapable of detecting his presence. He isalso immune to detection by othersenses. ("Did you hear anything? Nah.")He can be mechanically detected and recorded (this is where this Power getsweird); a video monitor or alarm thatreveals the hero's presence will beignored by anyone within range of thehero's Power. Photographic film recordsthe hero, but anyone looking at it whilewithin range of the hero's Power willignore the hero's image. Anyone outsidethis range can see the hero quite clearly,and will be very confused about the lackof reaction by those around the hero. Hecan extend this invisibility to anyone inphysical contact with him. If the heroloses touch (literally) with someonewhom he was protecting in this way, thatperson is immediately susceptible to thePower's effect and forgets that the herowas ever there. Robots and cyberneticbeings are unaffected by this Power, butthey can be protected by it. The Powerdoes not affect any light-based attack butdoes provide protection against psionicattacks (-2CS for the attacker).
Hallucinatory: The hero is actuallyvisible but is surrounded by a telepathicfield that makes others see an emptyspot where the hero is. The Hallucinationcan incorporate the hero's surroundingsand affect real-time viewers at a greatdistance. In other words, the hero candisguise the area around himself and thisdisguise will fool anyone looking at thearea, even if they are miles away.However, this Power doesn't fool film or
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videotape; these record the scene as itreally is.
Hallucination also prevents detectionby other senses. The hero can bemechanically detected and recorded; aswith the Telepathic form, anyone within,range o f the effect ignores the hero.Robots and cybernetic beings can alsodetect him. This Power provides noprotection against light-based attacks,but does provide protection againstpsionic attacks (-2CS for the attacker).
Holographic: The hero is actuallyvisible but has surrounded himself with aholographic image of empty space. Theholograph can incorporate a wide areaand affects anyone within line of sight (ifsomeone can see across interstellarspace, the holograph fools you). Theholograph can be mechanically detectedand recorded as if it were real. It will notprevent detection by other senses.Robots and cybernetic life accept theholograph as real. It provides protectionagainst light-based attacks equal to hisPower rank -2CS. (Example: theIncredible rank provides ExcellentResistance.)
The duration of any form of Invisibilityis a function of the Power rank. ThisPower can be reduced in effectivenessor even terminated by certain acts,performed either by the hero or someoneunder the Power's effect. Simple physicalcontact can alert others to the hero'spresence (Physics, Hallucinatory,Holographic). Physical attacks by thehero terminate the Invisibility (Telepathic)or reduce its protection by -1CS for eachattack the hero makes (all other forms). AInvisible hero may find himselfsurrounded by a coating material (rain,dust, and paint for example). This onlyeffects the Physics-based Invisibility. AtFeeble, Poor, and Typical ranks the herois visible for the duration of the coating.At Good or higher ranks, such coatingsremain visible for the number of turnsequal to eight minus the number ofPower rank levels. (Example: InvisibleWoman is struck by a balloon filled withpaint. Her Power is Excellent andrenders the paint invisible in three turns.)
There is a base 2% chance that theInvisibility is permanent (4% if the hero isalien). Such a state can only be negatedby nullifying the Power itself,permanently. Previously controllable
Invisibility can be made permanentthrough brain damage or Powers thataffect the hero's control.
S20/Mass Decrease: The hero candiminish his body's mass. His weightdecreases to a percentage equal to hispower rank number. For example, theVision's Unearthly rank in this powerdecreases his weight by 100%, makinghim completely weightless. At Shift X andhigher, the hero attains buoyancy andcan lift additional weight. The addedweight is a percentage of his normalbody weight; for example, a 160 lb. manwith Shift Z rank in this power can carryan additional 800 pounds (500% of 160lbs.). When the hero is created, theplayer can increase the power's rank+1CS by making its effect permanent.The optional power is GravityManipulation.
S21/Mass Increase: The hero canincrease his body's mass. His weight ismultiplied by the power rank number. Forexample, a 98-pound weakling withRemarkable rank can increase his massto 2,940 pounds (30 x 98). Fortunately, aside effect of this power increases thehero's basic strength. No matter howmuch the hero weighs, he can still moveas if he were his normal weight. Liftingstrength remains the same. Of course,as the hero weighs more, he has agreater effect on the environment. At2,940 pounds, our hero can fall throughpreviously sound flooring or collapse theshocks on his 1973 VW Beetle. Physicalforce has a decreased effect on the herobecause of his greater mass. In gameterms, the power gives the hero powerrank resistance to physical attacks. Thehero can also use the power rank insteadof his strength to inflict charging damage.Formerly weak characters canembarrass their adversaries with thisnew-found might. For example, themacho super-criminal Manbrute may fleeinto obscurity when Wimp-man simplysits on him with all 2,940 pounds, thendelivers a stinging lecture on the benefitsof niceness while the camera crews havea field day.
S23/Phasing: The hero can render hisbody intangible to normal matter. Thisenables him to pass harmlessly through
any object. The hero's power rank mustexceed the barrier's material strength inorder for Phasing to occur. The hero canPhase through Force Fields, BodyArmors, Resistances, and Invulner-abilities of lower ranks by making agreen FEAT. Because the hero is out ofphase with normal matter, he cannotbreathe. Thus, the practical duration limiton this power is the length of time thehero can hold his breath. If the hero hassome way around this problem, theduration is unlimited. Note that if thepower is somehow "turned on"permanently, as happened to Kitty Pryde,the power gains the ability to transformair into phased particles that the herocan breathe. In the Marvel Universe,Phasing has a damaging effect ondelicate electronic devices. By Phasingthrough such devices, the hero candisrupt normal activity and scramble anyon-line programming. If, during thecharacter creation process, the playerdecides to forego this side effect, he canraise his hero's power rank +1CS. Formodesty's sake, it is assumed that thepower also transforms the hero's clothingand carried possessions into phasedmatter. The power's side effectautomatically scrambles any electronicsthe hero is carrying (Kitty Pryde wears awind-up watch, never a digital one). If theplayer wants to risk his hero's modestyfor the sake of a more realistic game, theplayer can assume either that the poweronly transforms whatever the hero waswearing when he first got this power(severely limiting the hero's wardrobe) orthat there is a base 70% chance that thepower automatically transforms whateverthe hero is wearing at the time. In eithercase, this must be determined when thehero is first created.
S3/Physical Gestalt: This is a variationof S2/Alter Ego. Two or more relativelynormal people actually merge theirbodies to form a single, powerful being—the hero. When a player rolls this Power,he has to create three differentcharacters.
The Gestalt hero may physicallyresemble a blending of features fromeach of the merged characters, or have acompletely different appearance. In anycase, the Gestalt hero will have a normalappearance. No two-headed, split-
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torsoed freak results, unless this Poweris distorted in some way. Interference bysuch Powers as Magic or Power Controlmay result in the Gestalt hero forming asa freak. The hero can still revert to hisnormal selves, though, no matter howweird he gets (the Judge may want torequire an Unearthly FEAT, though, at hisdiscretion). Both or all normal selves arerequired to form the Gestalt. If one isunavailable, the Power cannot function.Damage to a normal self is carried overto the Gestalt self; for example, if oneperson has a whomping head cold, sowill the Gestalt. However, the Gestalthero's superior recuperative faculties canquickly repair any such illness. Thenormal and Gestalt selves never co-existexcept under extraordinarycircumstances (see S2/Alter Ego). TheGestalt mind may be a schizoidcombination of each of the normal minds,or be a completely independent mind. Inthe latter case, the Gestalt may have full,partial, or no knowledge of hiscomponent selves. Likewise, the normalselves may not have any idea of whattheir Gestalt self is up to' Variablesinclude whether the merger is voluntaryor automatic, the duration, and themaximum difference between normalselves when attempting to merge.Normal distance is contact, but at highlevels merges can occur across somedistance; in these cases, the normalsteleport to a common location (orperhaps one teleports to the other'slocation). Duration is determined by thePsyche of the Gestalt. Time varies fromone minute to indefinite, with a median of1048 hours.
S24/Plant Mimicry: This is a form ofPower duplication. The hero canduplicate the natural abilities of anyplant. The body does not significantlychange, aside from the instantaneousappearance of chlorophyll in the hero'sskin whenever he uses this Power. Someplant "powers" include:
• Photosynthesis: The hero can survivewithout eating by converting sunlight tofood.
• Fragrance: The hero can summon andcontrol insects.
• Rooting: The hero can becomeimmovable.
• Poison Touch: The hero can have
adverse effects on anyone touchinghim, from rashes to death.
The hero must state what plant powerhe is attempting. Players should alsostudy up on their botany, since the moreplants they know about, the more powersthey can have. Successful duplication isdetermined by a Power rank FEAT;normal plants require green FEATs, alienplants require yellow FEATs, and magicalplants require red FEATs. Durationranges from one minute to indefinite.
S25/Plasticity: The hero can change hisbody's topology; that is, he can twist,bend, pull, stretch or otherwise distort hisbody's shape into any form. The onlylimitation is that the hero cannot normallycreate new holes in his body. Forexample, Mr. Fantastic can form himselfinto a parachute but not a sieve. If thehero wants to assume a shape thatrequires holes, he must make a redFEAT. For example, a higher-ranked herocould regularly transform himself intonets and ladders.
The hero's malleable flesh gives himpower rank resistance to blunt Physicalattacks. The hero is able to survivewithout harm a fall from the number offloors equal to his power rank number byturning into a bouncing shape before hehits the ground.
The hero gains the bonus power ofElongation. Bouncing Ball is an optionalpower or may be simulated by a powerStunt.
S26/Prehensile Hair: This is a Powerthat few masculine heroes would admitto having, even if they possessed it. ThePower gives the hero's hair the capabilityof independent, controlled movement, asif each strand were a tiny tentacle, It isalso a Power that apparently only womenpossess. The basis for this may becultural rather than genetic (in the entirehistory of comic books, only three peoplehad this Power—all women).
Using her Prehensile Hair, the heroinecan perform a variety of tasks with thehairs combining to form one or moreappendages. She can handle objects,pick locks, ensnare a target, and evendeliver a powerful blow with a silken fist.In a blunt combat the hair functions as
one or more attacks. The maximumnumber of simultaneous actions and theStrength and Agility with which they canbe accomplished are functions of thePower rank.
Str./Agil.
RankFEPRTYGDEXRMINAMMNUNZYZCL1000CL3000CL5000
# of Actions11122334568
1012203040
Adjustment-2CS-1CSnonenone+1CS+1CS+2CS+2CS+3CS+3CS+4CS+4CS+5CS+5CS+6CS+7CS
Prehensile Hair possesses a sense oftouch identical to that of the heroine'shands. Damage to the hair is felt. If youyanked out a lock of Medusa's hair, she'dfeel the same pain you'd feel if she brokeyour finger (and you'd deserve it). Loss ofmore than half the hair causes pain anddamage equal to that caused by a limblost by the same means; the heroine losesone-third of her Health (rounded down).
The motivating Power for the hair isTelekinetic rather than muscular. Theindividual strands are identical to normalhealthy hair. The coloration is often abrilliant red or golden blonde, but can beany color the player desires. The hair'slength exceeds the normal limits; strandscan reach a maximum length of 20 feetplus 5 more for each rank above Amazing.
However long the hair is, when not inactive use it contracts and does notextend past the heroine's knees.
If the heroine's Power is nullifiedsomehow, she retains her hair but can nolonger feel or control it. The hair immed-iately cascades to the floor (and beyond)and reduces her Agility and movementrate (excluding Flight) by -4CS.
S27/Self-Duplication: The hero canspontaneously generate exact copies ofhimself. The new bodies are usuallysemi-independent; each possessing an
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independent mind but all are linkedtelepathically so all Duplicates are awareof each other's actions. Each Duplicatepossesses the same Powers as theoriginal, except for possible lacking thisPower (that is, no Duplicate couldgenerate more Duplicates).
If a Duplicate is killed, the hero doesn'tlose any Health, though he might loseKarma if the hero deliberately sent hisDuplicate into a certain-death situation. Ifthe original body is killed, the Duplicateswill last until the duration of the Power isup-then disintegrate. If the hero'sDuplicates possess an indefiniteexistence and the Power of Duplication,it matters not if the original body isdestroyed. Thus, this Power offers a formof Immortality. Unfortunately, eachDuplicate is the same physical age asthe original, so this form of immortalitydoesn't turn back the clock at all.
Sometimes this Power functions in adifferent manner, producing beingsdistinctly different from the original. Suchsemi-duplicates might possess alteredminds, bodies, or Powers. For example,Shifter has the ability to generateindependent beings who each possess asingle, unique Power. Each time he useshis Power, he creates a new, albeittemporary, hero. At this rank, he has noreal control over what Powers come out,but with extensive practice, someday he'llbe able to custom-create his sub-heroes.
In a case like Shifter's, each sub-herogains a Power randomly generated at thetime of his creation. Shifter has thepotential to use any Power in this book. Ifhe wants to try to make a consciousselection, his player must make a redFEAT roll. If he blows it, the Judge rolls aPower for him. If the FEAT was yellow,the Judge rolls a Power in the sameclass of Powers as the player originallywanted; less than that, and the Judgecan roll under any, class he likes.
All Duplicates possess statisticsidentical to those of the original hero.
S28/Self-Vegetation: The hero can alterboth his shape and physiology tobecome any desired plantform. Thedegree of change can vary wildly. At theleast, the hero's body changes into asimilarly-shaped "plantman;" at higherranks the hero may assume normal oralien plant shapes.
When in plant-form, the hero isimmune to attacks that specifically affectanimal life (nerve gas, pheromones, etc.)but is vulnerable to attacks that affectplant life (herbicides, light-blocking, etc.).
When in plant form, the hero doesn'tneed to eat normal food; rather he usesphotosynthesis to gain desired energy.This requires the availability of water, air,and sunlight. The plant-hero has differentstatistics for the physical Abilities; themental Abilities remain unchanged.
S29/Shapeshifting: The hero candrastically alter all of his physicalparameters (dimensions, appearance,physiology) to achieve any desiredshape. Despite appearances, the heroretains his basic chemical compositionunless other Powers are usedsimultaneously, such as S8/BodyTransformation-Self. Example: Hobgoblinof the Shi'ar Imperial Guard transformshimself into a stone wall. Despite itsgranite-like facade, it's composed offlesh; instead of chips flying when thewall is attacked, it bleeds.
The hero can attempt to change intoany form; success is determined by aFEAT. When creating the hero, the playercan raise the Power rank by limiting thevariety of possible forms into which thehero can change. Some categoriesinclude inanimates, machines, specificalien or animal races, superbeings only,and so on.
Normal duration is determined byPower rank. If the hero attempts a shapethat exceeds his normal size limits (i.e.not more that 150% nor less than 50% ofhis original size), this affects the duration,dropping it the equivalent of -3CS.
This way a hero can attempt toimpersonate a fly or a dinosaur; he justcan't do it for long.
S30/Shrinking: This is a personal formof MC4/Diminution. The hero cantemporarily decrease his body's size.The hero's primary and secondaryabilities remain unaffected. EvenStrength is undiminished, although it ismuch harder for a shrunken hero to gainenough leverage to perform tasks thatwould otherwise be simple to perform.For example, consider the act ofsharpening a pencil if you are onlyladybug-size.
As the hero shrinks, he becomesharder to hit but conversely suffersgreater damage if struck. This is handledby the column shift as shown in the tablebelow. The column shift decreases theattacker's chance to hit and increasesthe damage by an equal shift. Forexample, a hero with Remarkable rank is-2CS to hit but suffers +2CS damage ifthe attack is successful.
The following table details attackmodifiers against Shrinking characters:
Resultant
Rank
FE
PRTYGDEXREINAMMNUNXYZCL1000CL3000CL5000
Size
50%
25%12.5%6.25%
3%1%.5%
.25%.1%
.01%.001%
.00001%.0000001%
10 E-1210 E -1810 E -33
Column Shift
0
0011222334568
1012
In practical terms, a Shrinking rank ofShift X, Y, or Z is sufficient to reduce anormal human to the size of a single cellor virus. Either CL1000 or CL3000 willreduce him to atomic scale. CL5000reduces him to the point at which he canenter microverse worlds. On such worlds,the hero is proportional to his newenvironment.
There are three forms of this power.When the power or the hero is first crea-ted, the player must determine which formis involved, using the following subtable.
Die roll
01-20
21-4041-00
Form
Atomic Collapse
Atomic ReductionAtomic Shrinkage
Atomic Collapse—decreases the distancebetween the body's atoms and subatomicparticles, thus decreasing overall size.Mass and strength are unaffected. Asdensity increases, the hero's body couldcollapse into neutronium (CL3000) or into
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TRAVEL
a black hole (CL5000).Atomic Reduction—decreases thenumber of atoms in the hero's body. Thelost atoms are either disintegrated (if theshrinkage is permanent) or temporarilyremoved from the hero's plane ofexistence and stored "elsewhere" untilthe hero reverts to his original size. Bothmass and strength decrease as the heroshrinks; these ranks remain proportionalto the hero's new size. If the hero losestoo many atoms (by exceeding Shift Xrank), his remaining structure becomestoo simple to sustain his life force. Forthis reason, a hero with this form cannotvoluntarily exceed Unearthly rank. If thelimit is passed, the hero's lifeforce isautomatically stored away on the sameplane with all the displaced matter thatnormally forms his body. At Shift Z rank,the hero's body consists of a single DNAmolecule, which then vanishes when thenext rank is reached.Atomic Shrinkage—reduces the size ofthe hero's atoms, thus reducing overallsize and mass. Strength remains pro-portional to the hero's current size. This isthe only form that enables the hero toreach a microverse. While this is the mostpopular form of Shrinking, it has apotentially deadly disadvantage. As thehero's atoms shrink, they can no longerinteract with other, normal-size atoms. Asa result, the hero cannot breathe, drink,or eat normal-size matter. Fortunately,there is a flat 95% chance (determined atthe time this power is first gained) thatthe power envelops the hero with anaura that temporarily reduces all atomsto be consumed. If the hero lacks thisaura, he must have a proportionally sizedsupply of material for consumption orsomehow not need to breathe. If not, theduration for this power is equal to thetime the hero can hold his breath. Thereis an advantage to not possessing thisaura in that electrons cannot flow fromnormal to shrunken matter; hence, thepower acts as rank-level Resistance toElectricity.
The optional power is MC4/Diminution.The nemesis is MC6/Enlargement; the
specific forms are, in order, AtomicDispersal, Atomic Gain, and AtomicGrowth (see Enlargement).
S31/Spirit Gestalt: The hero cantransform into a heroic Alter Ego by joining
his mind and body with one or moredisembodied beings (spirits, semi-divinebeings, and that ilk. The joining of thesedisparate beings generates the Powerpossessed by the Gestalt hero. Themerging spirit can be of any nature,determined by the player at the time of thehero's creation. Possibilities include:Ancestral Gestalt: The merging beings arethe hero's own ancestors. Spiritual Gestalt:The spirits are any Free Spirits. DemonicGestalt: The merging being is a nastysupernatural type. Divine Gestalt: Themerging spirit a bonafide divine being.
Duration is determined by the Gestalthero's Psyche. Rank determines thecohesiveness of the Gestalt, especiallyits resistance to external attempts todissolve the merger.
S32/Two-Dimensionality: The hero canharmlessly reduce his body (and anynonliving matter he carries) to a flat, two-dimensional version. To an onlooker, thehero appears to have transformedhimself into a life-size photograph. Thehero's body functions and abilities areunaffected. Because the hero is nowextremely thin, gaining leverage onthree-dimensional objects is extremelydifficult. He is also extremely hard to hit ifhe can turn his flat side toward hisopponents. While in a flattened state, thehero suffers less damage from bluntphysical attacks; the power rank numberdecreases the damage by that much foreach attack. On the other hand, a flathero can suffer all sorts of abuse that hewould normally ignore. For example,Flatman could be forcibly folded like amap and locked in a glove compartment!How thin the hero can get is determinedby an Intensity FEAT. A green FEATreduces the hero to the width of a pieceof paper (about 1/256"). At this point, thehero can pass through the cracks arounda door or adhere to a wall and pretend tobe a poster. A yellow FEAT reduces thehero to one atom's width. At this width,the hero can pass through solid barriersby slicing through them as if he were anincredibly fine knife. The power enablesthe hero to pass any barrier with aMaterial Strength up to +5CS greaterthan this power's rank. Note that if thebarrier is larger than the hero's body(such as a wall), then the slice made bythe hero's passage immediately reseals
itself. But, if the barrier was smaller thanthe hero (such as a chain), then thepieces fall apart as soon as the herosevers the entire width. A red FEATremoves the third dimension entirely; atthis point, the hero can pass throughbarriers without damaging them, or hecan be transported into a Flatland-typedimension where everyone has only twodimensions. In the latter case, the herovanishes from sight.
The hero can choose to flatten himselfin any direction. He can appear to be afront-back, left profile-right profile, topview-bottom view, or similar-shaped two-dimensional image. Note that while onedimension is drastically altered, theremaining measurements remain thesame.
When this power is applied to aweapon, the result is a micron-swordsuch as the one used by the lateNemesis. Such a blade completelysevers any matter with a MaterialStrength up to +5CS greater than thispower's rank.
The name "Two-Dimensionality" is amisnomer. While in the Marvel Universeit most commonly describes the ability ofnormal beings to pass into a Flatland-likestate, it can also be used to shed morethan one dimension. Three-dimensionalbeings can reduce themselves all theway down to a single line one atom oreven one "point" in diameter. The powercan also be used by multidimensionalbeings to enter into this one.
Travel Powers
T1/Astral Body: The hero can send his
astral form off to any destination. Thephysical body doesn't go anywhere; itremains in a comatose state until theastral body returns. The astral body isintangible and invisible to normalsenses. In the Earth dimension it canuse any of the hero's mental or PsionicPowers but not the physical ones. Inother dimensions the astral body regainsvisibility, solidity, and the physicalPowers. A magical silver cord connectsthe astral and physical bodies. While itcan stretch a great distance, it is notinfinite. The maximum distance theastral body can travel form the physicalbody is shown on the
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Space/Extradimensional Travel columnof the Movement Table. The astral bodytravels at up to Power rank speed. Thisallows the hero to arrive instantaneouslyat a destination. The astral hero cancross into other dimensions by means ofa Psyche FEAT. The silver cord linksboth bodies in several ways. It enablesthe astral to monitor the condition andlocation of the physical. Beings in thephysical world can use that body'sconnection to locate the astral body. Thesilver cord is the key to the astralreturning to its own body. If the cord isbroken, return is extremely difficult, if notimpossible. Once the cord is broken, thephysical body begins to die. Healthdrops one point per hour. Fortunately,breaking the silver cord requires aCL1000 Intensity FEAT. If an attempt ismade to damage the cord at any point,the astral body is immediately aware ofthe attempt and the location of thethreatened length.
If the physical body is killed, the cord issnapped automatically. The hero is nowtrapped in astral form as a Free Spirit.
The astral body resembles the hero'sself image. As such, it might notresemble the real body. All clothing andappurtenances the astral form carries areunreal simulations of the real items; theystill have equivalent effects though.
Astral bodies can be detected byPsionics, Magic, ExtradimensionalDetection, and by this Power. They canbe attacked from the physical world bymental and Psionic Powers, Exorcism,Summoning, Spirit Storage, and ForceField vs. Magic.
Optional Powers include any of theMagic Powers and ExtradimensionalDetection.
The Nemesis is Summoning.
T2/Carrier Wave: The hero canmanipulate energy currents to supportand propel his body, thus attaining a formof Flight. The energy can be any typefound in the hero's environment, such asmagnetism, sound, light, heat, andelectricity. The hero can use only oneform; the player has to decide which onewhen he creates the hero.
The Carrier Wave can support the heroand an additional load equal to its Powerrank in terms of Strength. For example,Magneto's Remarkable rank enables him
to tow up to a ton of material. The carrierwave is temporarily solid and visible.
Flight occurs at Power rank speed.The maximum speed is that of normalenergy of the type composing the wave.For example, a sonic carrier wave islimited to Shift-X speed. It is limited toareas where that energy exists. As thelimits of that energy's domain arereached, it becomes weaker and finallyfizzles out. The hero continues to movein a ballistic arc before he finally crashes.
Carrier waves can be affected by theappropriate Energy Emission and ControlPowers. Emission can change the speedor direction of the hero's travel. TheIntensity of an opposing Energy Powerdecreases this Power's rank. Asupporting Energy Power adds itsIntensity to the Power rank.
Example: Lodestone possessesIncredible Magnetic Manipulation. Hetries to stop Magneto from flying away.Lodestone's Incredible rank decreasesMagneto's Remarkable rank to -10.Magneto comes to an inaudiblyscreeching halt and begins to fly inreverse at Good speed.
The Optional Power is EnergyDetection and an Energy Control Powerof the same type as the Carrier Wave.
The Nemesis is the appropriate EnergyControl.
T3/Dimension Travel: The hero cantravel into a number of other Dimensions.Transit to a random dimension normallyoccurs automatically but the Power isweakened by adrenaline. If the hero is inany kind of precarious situation, he mustmake a Power rank FEAT. He must alsomake a FEAT if he is trying to appear ina specific dimension or alternate timeline.Specific locations in the other dimensionrequire a red FEAT. The return trip iseasier. Returning to a random location onthe homeworld is automatic. Returning toa familiar spot on the homeworld is ayellow FEAT.
The hero initially has two dimensionshe can travel to, his home and one otherrealm. Additional dimensions can bereached by developing the trips asPower stunts or by dropping the affinitythat permits effortless travel to either ofthe two original dimensions. ("What doyou mean, you don't remember how toget back to Earth?")
T4/Energy Path: This is a combinationof Energy Body and Carrier Wave. Thehero is transformed into energy and ispropelled at Power rank speed alongcurrents of that energy. The maximumspeed is that normal Energy. The hero islimited to places where the energycurrents flow. The player must choosewhat form of energy the hero turns into.Upon reaching the destination or the limitof the energy current, the hero safelyrematerializes.
Travel can be affected by anything thatdisrupts the current, such as a break in anelectric line or the use of Energy Emissionor Control Powers. When a disruptionoccurs, the hero must make a PowerFEAT to detour around the obstacle andcontinue on. Failure means the herorematerializes on the spot and can notreenter the energy path for an hour.
The hero must be within 10 feet of thecurrent in order to join it. Insulation of anIntensity exceeding his Power rank pre-vents the hero from joining the current.
The hero can transform and tow alongan additional mass. Treat the Power rankin terms of Strength to determine howmuch additional material can betransported by this Power. For example,a Typical rank can transport an additional100-200 pounds.
While in an energized state, the hero isextremely vulnerable to the energyaltering Powers. These are AbsorptionPower, Energy Solidification, EnergySponge, and Energy Vampirism. Any ofthese have the potential to trap or evendestroy the hero. Fortunately the hero ismoving at the speed normal for his energytype is thus a rather difficult target.
Optional Powers include EnergyDetection and either Energy Emission orControl for the appropriate type ofenergy. The Nemesis is Energy Control.
T5/Floating Disc: The hero can create aglowing platform of solid light. The discmaterializes to support any part of thehero's body; generally this is under thefeet or posterior. The disc is a part of thehero's Power and has no independentexistence beyond him. The disc canautomatically support the hero andadditional mass. The weight is supportedby a Power FEAT with the Power substit-uting for Strength. For example, creating aFloating Disc to lift five tons is an Incred-
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ible Intensity FEAT. The disc's surfacearea expands to support wide loads.
Travel occurs at Power rank speed. ThePower provides no innate protectionagainst high windspeed and friction burns,thus the practical speed limit for atmos-pheric Flight is Remarkable (225 mph).The Power can be used in the water withproportionally decreased speed.
If the hero is a technological type orpossesses such Powers as Hyper-Intelligence, Hyper-inventiveness,Weapons Tinkering, or MechanicalCreation, then the Floating Discs can bemechanical in nature. Such diskscollapse for easy storage somewhere onthe hero's costume, such as a falsebottom in the boots. An example of this isthe Wizard's anti-grav disks.
The Optional Power is Kinetic Bolt; theenergy resembles the Floating Disc.
Nemesis is Energy Vampirism.
T6/Gateway: The hero can travel to anypoint in space, time, or other dimensionsby traveling along bridges she createsherself. She can travel along a bridgefrom her current location to a location inspace (a green FEAT), time (a yellowFEAT), and other dimensions (a redFEAT). The destination of each Gatewayis a fixed point in space but the depart-ure end always moves with the hero.
A bridge to another location in space iscreated by a FEAT. A green FEATcreates a spatial bridge. The maximumdistance the target can be from the heroat the time the bridge is created is shownon column E of the Range Table. AGateway through time is created by ayellow FEAT. The maximum distance intothe past or future the Power can initiallyreach is the number of centuries equal tothe Power rank number. Gateways intoother dimensions or alternate timelinesrequire a red FEAT. The transdimens-ional bridges are initially limited toreaching only one dimension. Additionaldimensions require development asPower Stunts. Once created, the bridgefunctions no matter how far the hero is inspace, time, or the Multiverse.
The hero has a finite number oflocations she can bridge to. Once thehero has established the bridge, shealways returns to it when creating thattype of Gateway. The maximum numberof dif ferent Gateways the hero can
create is equal to the Power ranknumber. Shortly after gaining this Power,the hero should create at least half of herpossible Gateways. More can be addedat any time. If the hero exceeds her limit,a previously established bridge isreplaced by the hero is trying to add.
Example: Gatekeeper has Good rank.She can establish up to ten bridges. Sheestablishes Gateways to her home, herteam's headquarters at the AvengersMinnesota mansion, her ex-boyfriend'stimesharing condo in Jamaica, thebottom of the Atlantic, geosynchronousorbit 22,400 miles above Minnesota, thecrater of an active volcano in Iceland, theprisoner processing area of Ryker'sIsland Federal Prison, Tahiti in the year1287, the surface of Lake Michigan(twenty miles east of Milwaukee), andDeath Valley. The need arises for abridge to an alternate Earth. Gatekeeperconcentrates on establishing the link;making the red FEAT takes her most ofthe day. Later she realizes that she can'thop over to Jamaica any more. Oh well,she'd hadn't been there with Wilfordsince he'd gotten married.
Gateways automatically transportwilling passengers. The Power can beused to catch and transport unwillingpassengers (like foes or rampaging waterbuffaloes) by means of an Agility FEAT.The would-be transportee is allowed toresist in any way he can.
Gateways deal with size and not mass.The hero can transport a black hole aslong as it's small enough. The maximumsize of a Gateway is the number ofsquare feet equal to the Power ranknumber. For example, a Feeble rankcreates a two square foot Gateway thatmost people could just barely squeezethrough. The Gateway forms within tenfeet of the hero. It can maintain itsexistence for as long as the heroconcentrates on it or until he passesthrough it.
T7/Gliding: The hero can travel on aircurrents. She can travel at Power rankspeed, with a top limit of Shift-X rank(Mach One). In normal air currents, thehero drops one story (15 feet) for eachturn she is in the air. Level flight can bemaintained by an Agility FEAT; failureindicates a loss of 2 stories. The glider canclimb by using updrafts. Using an updraft
to climb 'requires a yellow Agility FEAT foreach three stories the hero ascends;failure means she's caught in a downdraftand descends the three stories instead.
She can carry aloft an additional mass;the limit is decided by her physicalStrength. Gliding can be affected by highwinds or the Powers of Weather Controland Air Animation. The wind's Intensity orthe Power rank diminishes or increasesthe Gliding rank, depending on thedirection the hero is gliding. For example,a Poor airspeed of 60 mph would bestopped by an equally fast headwind, butif the hero wants to travel in the otherdirection, she can be boosted to a Goodairspeed of 120 mph.
Optional Powers include WeatherControl and Air Animation.
These are also the Nemeses.
T8/Hyper-Digging: The hero can travelswiftly through the earth by burrowing atunnel at Power rank speed (landmovement rate). The Power can be usedindefinitely as Hyper-digging has theside-effect of increasing the hero'sStrength and Endurance. Both abilities'ranks are raised by this Power's ranknumber. Burrowing remains the hero'spreferred mode of transportation, whencompared to running or especially toinconceivable activities like flying.
Normally the tunnel the hero makescollapses within 10 turns of the hero'spassage at a specific spot. Theexception is the tunnel within 10 feet ofthe hero's current location. This allowsthe hero to occasionally stop. A tunnelnever collapses on the hero, unless ahigher Intensity force is applied.Examples include explosives, Vibration,and Matter Animation. If the hero wantsto build a relatively permanent tunnel, hismovement rate is cut in half as he takesthe time to make reinforced walls.
The hero may burrow throughmaterials with lower Material Strengththan his Power rank. Materials with equalor greater Material Strength areobstacles to be detoured around. If thehero also possesses Hyper-Strength,Armor Skin, Body Resistance, or TrueInvulnerability, he can add such Powers'rank numbers to this Power's ranknumber. This might permit the hero toburrow through harder materials, likegranite intrusions or bank vaults, at half
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speed. When creating the hero, theplayer must choose a Bonus Power ofeither Natural Weaponry/Claws or BodyResistance. The rank of either is at leastequal to this Power's rank.
Optional Powers include Hyper-strength, Hyper-endurance, Armor Skin,or Body Resistance.
The Nemesis is Matter Animation.
T9/Hyper-Leaping: The hero can jumpgreat distances. By repeated leaps, thehero can rapidly cover large distances.This Power's minimum rank is +1CSgreater than the hero's Strength rank. If alower rank is initially rolled, it must beraised to this level.
The Power rank determines thedistances the hero can safely leap.
Maximum Distance
Rank
FE
PRTYGDEXREINAMMNUNXYZC1000C3000C5000
Up/Across
4'
6'10'20'30'40'50'75'
100'1 area
248
.5 mile24
Down
6'
9'15'30'45'60'75'
105'150'
1.5 areas36
121.5 miles
35
Innate safeguards in this Power enablethe hero to safely land. (Otherwise hemight break a leg attempting even aGood leap.) The effect is the same onthe hero as if he were a Normal Humanmaking a 2 foot leap up or across ordescending 3 feet.
The effects on the area the hero landson might not be the same as if a normaljump occurred. Consider that the Hulksplinters the pavement when he lands. Todetermine what sort of effects occur whenthe hero lands, the Judge should figurewhat kind of damage results when aweight five times that of the hero sud-denly drops on the surface in question.
The actual landspeed varies with theangle of the leaps. The average
landspeed for Hyper-leaping is a -3CSLand Movement rate. For example, anExcellent Leaper can travel 30 mph in aseries of rapid 30-foot leaps. If the heroalso possesses Hyper-speed, that can beadded to this Power's rank number foradditional speed by increasing thefrequency but not the size of the leaps.
Physical burdens do not decrease thehero's speed, although they mightdecrease his control. Anything the hero iscarrying is also protected by the innatesafeguards against damage; the heroacts as a shock-absorber.
While the hero has a vague idea ofwhere he is going, he can't see histouchdown point. This can be a realhazard when the hero can makeMonstrous leaps or better. For example,while leaping cross country, the Hulklanded on seven cars (two were movingat the time), one semi truck, eight roofs,a swimming pool, ten mud patches, oneriver, twelve power lines, three streetlamps, 57 trees and bushes of varioussizes, and a late Merino ram namedHerbert. Judges can assume that thehero has enough control on his descentthat he can swerve to avoid dangerouslanding sites. The player must make agreen Reason or Intuition FEAT(whichever Ability has the higher rank)every ten leaps to make sure he doesn'tcome down on something he'd rather nothave come down on.
T10/Hyper-Running: The hero can runat Power rank speed for extendedamounts of time. The Power has theside-effect of raising the Ability ranknumber of Endurance by this Power'srank number. It includes protection towind resistance and windburn; thisprotection extends to anything the hero iscarrying. The hero's lungs are modifiedto breath high velocity air. The lastbenefit can be crucial if the hero iscapable of Remarkable speeds or better.
If the hero stumbles, he continues on aballistic trajectory until he regains hisfooting or rolls to a halt. To cut down onthe chance of this, the Power increasethe hero's reaction time to be able copewith impending problems. The increasedreaction time decreases the relativespeed of any other moving object. Thehero's Power rank number decreases theperceived speed of the other object. For
example, Quicksilver's Shift X speed letshim perceive a bullet traveling at 600mph as if it were traveling only 15 mph.This side-effect enables the hero tododge or even catch things like bulletsand missiles.
If the Power is Duplicated orTransferred to another being, a specialyellow FEAT must be made. Failuremeans the recipient only has the actualrunning ability and not the safeguards.
Optional Powers include increasing thehero's Fighting or Agility ranks by thisPower's rank number.
T11/Hyper-Swimming: The hero cancover large distances by swimming atPower rank speed. Speed is decreased -1CS for each 100 feet of depth at whichthe hero us swimming. This is due toincreased water pressure. WaterFreedom can negate this limitation.
The Power does not free the hero fromthe need to breathe.
The hero can tow other objects in hiswake at a decreased speed of -1CS. Thisassumes the towed object has abuoyancy equal to the hero's body. If theobject has a greater or lesser buoyancy,the hero's Strength determines the limit towhat things can be towed. For example,Marlin has Typical Hyper-Swimming andStrength. He is trying to tow a sinkingboat back to the harbor. While the boat isstill floating, Marlin can swim at Poorspeed (30 mph). Once the boat actuallysinks, Marlin feels its full weight of 1000pounds. Marlin is dragged to a halt, thenthe boat begins to pull him under.
Bonus Powers include a choice of Water-breathing or Water Freedom. The remainingone is available as a Optional Power.
The Nemesis is Matter Animation/Water.
T12/Levitation: The hero can freelyresist the pull of gravity. She can movevertically at Power rank speed, hover inplace, or drift with the wind.
Limited horizontal movement ispossible by pushing off from otherobjects. The maximum distances aredetermined the same way a normal leapis. If the hero possesses Hyper-Leaping,that can be used to greatly increase thedistances the hero can propel herself.
A hero with this Power can never fallunless she is unconscious or purposelydecides to succumb to gravity. The hero
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can develop a Power Stunt that allowsthe hero Levitate in her sleep.
The Power can always lift the hero'sown weight. The hero can carry aloftadditional mass. The amount is limited byher St rength rank. If the hero possessesTelekinesis, this can be used to increaseher load-bearing capacity.
Levitation provided Power rankResistance to high winds and fluctuationsin gravity, whether these are natural orPower-related. Examples of Powers thatmight affect the Levitator include MatterAnimation/Air, Weather Control, andGravity Manipulation.
The Optional Powers is Telekinesis.The Nemesis is Matter Animation/Air.
T13/Rocket: The hero flies by means ofa rocket-like exhaust that propels him atPower rank speed. The rocket blast iscreated by a thermo-chemical reactiongenerated by the hero's body. The Powerconverts whatever material is around himinto fuel and oxidant, then it shapes theexhaust into a stream to propel him. Ifthe hero is in a vacuum, the Powercreates fuel out of virtual nothingness.
The Power is treated like Strength todetermine the maximum thrust the Powercan achieve. If the thrust is high enough,the hero can carry or push additionalloads. For example, Cannonball'sRemarkable thrust can lift up to one ton.
The Nemesis is Gravity Manipulation.
T14/Skywalk: This is a peculiar form offlying. The hero can walk along aninvisible path that he creates in the air.The path only serves the hero and onlyexists as long as he concentrates onmaintaining its existence. The path isintangible to others unless the hero canextend its benefits to them by suchmeans as a Power Stunt, PowerTransferral, or Telekinesis. The Sky-walker can develop a Power Stunt thatmaintains the path even while he isunconscious. Another Power Stuntincreases the path's tangibility to acircular area 10 feet around the hero; thisenables others to travel alongside him.Note that the walkway only offersprotection against failing.
The path slides -forward at its ownspeed. This enables the hero to travel atup to Power rank speed. When the herorests, speed is reduced to zero. The path
can be formed at any height but cannotclimb on its own. Height is changed bythe path forming a ramp that the heroclimbs or descends. Note: the averageincline is 30 degrees; sharper angles areharder to climb.
The Power offers Power rankresistance to high winds and suddenfluctuations in gravity, whether natural orPower-based.
The Optional Power is Telekinesis.The Nemesis is Gravity Manipulation.
T15/Spiderclimb: The hero can travelalong vertical or inverted surfaces withonly minor difficulty. The maximum speed,assuming the hero is using all his limbs toSpiderclimb, is the same as the hero'snormal ground movement rate. Each pairof limbs not used to climb decreases theoverall speed -2CS. For example, Spider-man can walk up a wall using only hisfeet if he is holding something in botharms, but it takes longer because of hisdecreased grip on the wall.
The Power rank determines howstrong the hero's adhesion is to a givensurface. The climber must make anIntensity FEAT based on the relativeslipperiness of a surface.
The hero can carry additional weight.The amount is based on the hero's ownweight and strength. Each additionalmass equal to his body's weight decreasethe Power's effectiveness -1CS.
Example: Spiderman has IncredibleStrength and Amazing Spiderclimbing.He weighs 165 pounds. Each additional165 pounds of mass Spiderman carriesdecreases his Power rank -1CS.Attempting to climb while carrying theThing (weight 500 pounds) decreases hisrank to Excellent (if the Thing is hangingfrom a web) or Good (if Spiderman isactually carrying him).
The hero can move through densevines, tangled vines, or similar areas byusing this Power instead of Agility.
The Nemesis is Matter Conversion.
T16/Teleport Self: The hero can vanishat one location and instantly reappear ata distant site. He does not physically.cross the intervening distance and is notaffected by most physical barriers.Column E of the Range Table shows themaximum distance a hero can Teleport.Teleportation always occurs, but the hero
must make a Power FEAT to see howwell he makes the trip. Failure means hearrives disoriented and cannot take anyactions the following turn.
The hero can carry along anything heis touching (except the ground on whichhe stands), up to his Strength's weightlimit. Passengers must make a greenEndurance FEAT or be disoriented for 1-10 turns.
As the hero rematerializes, gases andliquids move aside before he solidifies.Normal safeguards prevent the hero fromconsciously Teleporting into a solid mass.If the hero accidentally teleports into asolid, he must make an Endurance FEAT.Success means the hero instinctivelyjumped to another location and promptlyfainted for 1-10 turns. Failure means thehero takes damage equal to twice thesolid's Material Strength or actualStrength, if the blockage was a livingbeing. In the latter case, that being takesequal damage.
Certain conditions can prevent thehero from Teleporting. If the hero doesn'tknow where he is, psychologicalblockage may prevent him fromconsciously Teleporting. Extremely densematerials like Neutronium or black holesare impassable. Barriers that incorporatesuch Powers as Power Negation, ForceField vs. either Energy or Magic, or TrueInvulnerability are also impassable athigher rank.
The Optional Powers are TeleportOthers and Clairvoyance.
T16/Teleport Others: The hero canmake any target except his own bodyvanish and instantly reappear at a distantsite. The target does not physically crossthe intervening distance and isunaffected by most physical barriers.Column E of the Range Table shows themaximum distance the hero can Teleporta passenger.
Teleportation always occurs if thepassenger is immobile or touching thehero. The passenger must make anyellow Endurance FEAT to see how hefared. Failure means disorientation for 1-10 turns.
If the passenger is uncooperative or inmotion, the hero must make an AgilityFEAT to catch him. In addition, each 10feet of distance separating the hero andpassenger increases the Power rank -1CS.
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The Power can teleport a mass equalto the hero's Strength limit. This may bea single object or any number, so long asthe weight limit isn't exceeded. If thehero is trying to exceed his limit, he onlyTeleports part of the mass. Living targetsare transported intact; if a being weighstoo much it simply won't Teleport. Onlythe amount of non-living material thatwithin the limit is Teleported; the rest isleft behind.
Example: The Teleportation beamaboard the spaceship Jenni Lea hasExcellent rank and can handle up to 800pounds of material. A emergencyrequired the evacuation of five people(average weight 200 lbs.) and theirequipment. The Teleportation beamsorted out its load before taking effect.Only four of the crewmen wereteleported in the first turn. The fifthcrewman, the equipment, and the clothesthe other four had previously beenwearing arrived on the next go-round.
The hero can consciously try toTeleport sections of a target; the effect isas if the hero had used an extremely finescalpel. Such Teleportational dissectionrequires a Power FEAT whose intensityis equal to the material strength of anonliving target or the actual Strength ofa living target. Heroes with MedicalTalents can develop this type of exoticsurgery as a Power Stunt.
Certain conditions can prevent thepassage of a Teleportation beam.Neutronium and black holes areimpassable. Barriers that incorporatesuch Powers as Force Field vs. eitherEnergy or Magic, Power Negation, orTrue Invulnerability are impenetrable iftheir Intensity ranks are greater than thisPower's rank.
The act of Teleportation takes threeturns. The first turn the hero affects thetarget. The second turn the actualtransportation occurs. The third turn thetarget rematerializes. Only on the fourthturn can the hero seek another target.
Optional Powers include Teleport Selfand Clairvoyance.
T17/Telereformation: This is a peculiarform of Self Teleportation. The hero candisintegrate his body, transport hislifeforce any distance, and then create anew body out of materials available atthe destination site. The Power shapes
these into a form that resembles thehero's self-image but whose physicalproperties may be those of the materialsthat compose the new body.
Column E of the Range Table shows themaximum di stance the hero can travel.
Upon attempting to form a new body,the hero must make a Power FEAT. Agreen FEAT shapes existing material intothe hero's basic form. A yellow FEATconverts the material into thosesubstances that composed the hero'soriginal body or current self-image, hewas transformed into his current physicalform. A red FEAT enables the hero tocreate an altered version of his self-image. Examples of a red FEAT includeadditional forms or ones of different sizes.
Obviously, most heroes with this Powercannot carry objects, passengers, orclothing. The hero shows up stark nakedunless he makes a red FEAT andgenerates a costume. If the hero has thePower of Ionization (for nonliving matter)or Body Transformation-Others, then hecan carry passengers or loads when usingthe Power. The load limits are determinedby this other Power. Just like the hero,such targets are disintegrated and givennew bodies at the destination. Thisassumes the passengers are cooperative.Uncooperative passengers cannot betransported in this manner. Period.
When creating the hero, the player hastwo options. At a cost of -1CS to thePower rank, the hero can be given theability to only temporarily disintegrate hisoriginal body. When he returns to hisoriginal site the body automaticallyrematerializes. Normally the new body iscreated out of the particular type ofmatter (animal, vegetable, mineral) thatmost resembles the original body. Thislimits the sites where the hero canreform. At a cost of -1CS the hero thehero can create new bodies out ofwhatever material is available, regardlessof its nature.
The Power can be diminished ordestroyed by mental Powers that alter thehero's self-image. If the hero loses his selfimage, then the next use of the Powerresults in his bodily annihilation andconversion to a Free Spirit. Barriers thatincorporate Force Field vs. Mental Attackare impassable if their Intensity rank isequal or greater than this Power's rank.
Optional Powers include Clairvoyance,
Free Spirit, and Serial Immortality/Creation.The Nemesis is Force Field vs. Mental
Attack.
T19/Time Travel: The hero can travel intime to reach any point in the past orfuture. The maximum range the hero canreach is varies depending on whichdirection he's traveling. Travel into thepast is easy because it already existsfrom the hero's point of view. Themaximum range is equal to the Powerrank number times 1000 years. Travelinto the future is harder (at least, if you'replanning a return trip). The maximumrange into the future is equal to thePower rank number times 10 years.
The act of time traveling takes 1-100turns of the hero's perceived time. (Notime actually passes but it sure feels likeit.) The rate of perceived time passagevaries with each mode of time travel butis consistent for all trips using that mode.For example, Dr. Doom's time platformmakes virtually instantaneous trips whileKang's timeship travels at a rate of oneyear per turn.
The theories behind Time travel varyon the flexibility of the past. Two theoriesstress the immutability of the timestream.The first theory states that all events arefixed; if you travel into the past, you aredestined to perform those actions orsome unknown force either prevents ornegates your actions. (The Collectorsuddenly appears and stops Darkstarfrom assassinating a ten-year-oldAbraham Lincoln.) The second theorystates that the traveler actually travels toan alternate timeline that closelyresembles the desired segment of thepast. By changing this timeline, the herocuts himself loose from his originaltimeline and is now linked to the one hehas created. (Darkstar assassinatesLincoln. The U.S. breaks up during theCivil War and never becomes a worldpower. Darkstar emerges in a newpresent where the U.S.S.R.'s chief rival isAnglo-American Codominion. Meanwhileon Earth-Marvel, the Avengers intercepta secret Soviet communique that dealswith Darkstar's disappearance while on amission.) The third theory states thatthere is only one timestream but it canbe completely changed at any pointwhen a traveler from the future alters apart of the past. (Alison Blaire of Her
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Majesty's Special Guard brings hersuperior, Lord Warren, Earl ofWorthington, an intercepted Soviet reportdealing with the appearance andsubsequent elimination of a superhumanwho called herself Darkstar.)
Villains and well-meaning but misguid-ed types tend to believe the third theory.This is a false belief since the structureof the Marvel Universe actually followsthe second theory. Remember, people,that e ach Judge's campaign is set in adifferent divergent timeline.
Judges are fully entitled to mangle theplans of any characters who intend toalter the timestream. After all, the playersare going to create a lot of paperwork forthe Judge if they succeed.
By means of a Power Stunt, the herocan actually travel into the TimeContinuum. This is a chaotic maelstromof whirling lights and images that flashtoo quickly for the conscious mind tocomprehend. Once within theContinuum, the hero can travel to anypoint in any timestream. Accuracy isnearly impossible. A green FEAT onlygets the hero to the right timeline. Ayellow FEAT gets the right century. A redFEAT gets the hero within the 10 weeksof the desired date. Since all timetravelers must pass through the TimeContinuum, it serves as a place wheresuch travelers can attack each other. Atraveler who is slain or rendered unableto return to normal time is lost forever.
The Power can transport a masswhose weight is equal to the hero'sStrength. If the Power is incorporatedinto a device, it can transport an amountequal to 100 pounds times the Powerrank number.
Time travel can be hindered and evenstopped by the Power of RealityAlteration. A higher-ranked Power of thistype can simply undo anything thetraveler attempts or may even bar himfrom ever entering the timestream.
Optional Powers include DimensionTravel, Precognition, Postcognition, andReality Alteration.
The Nemesis is Reality Alteration.
T20/Troubleseeker: Heroes hate thisPower but it does tend to get anadventure going quickly. The Powercombines Teleportation with automaticallyfunctioning Mental and Detection Powers.
The hero subconsciously detects a crisissomewhere within his range andautomatically teleports to the vicinity. Themaximum range for detection andTeleportation is shown on column E of theRange Table.
The hero has no control over thePower. He usually arrives without anyidea of what the problem is that drewhim. His only warning is the dreaded feelof the Power beginning to function. (Abrief tingle, a muttered "Here I go again,"and poof!)
Nothing in the Marvel Universe canprevent the hero from teleporting into acrisis area. His unwanted appearancecan only be prevented by nullifying thePower before it functions. This can beaccomplished by negating either thedetection, analyzing, or transportationalaspects of the Power (more on this later).
Once he is drawn to the scene, thehero can move freely about. He mustremain within 10 areas of the initialattraction. If the hero goes beyond thatlimit, he is instantly teleported back to hisstarting place. Only when the crisis hasbeen dealt with can the Troubleseekerleave the area. (Of course, the Power isalso free to draw him to a new crisiselsewhere.)
To compensate for the constantdemands the Power places on the hero, itincrease the hero's Endurance by thisPower's rank number. At Amazing rank,the hero gains the additional Power ofSelf Teleportation. The 10-area limitremains in effect. The Power automaticallytransports anything the hero considerspart of his self image. This can beextended to include clothing, equipment,and even companions. The additionalweight is limited to the number of poundsequal to the Power rank number.
Example: The Troubleseeker knownonly as The Medic possesses a CL3000rank. This allows him to transport 1.5 tonsof additional mass. This is represented bya hut full of equipment and at least two(sometimes unwilling) passengers.
What attracts the Troubleseeker? TheDetection aspects of the Power operateon an Empathic basis. The crisis thatattracts it is one that generates extremelevels of turbulent emotions (fear, hate,pure evil, general anguish, and so on).An event that doesn't directly affectanyone will not attract the Troubleseeker.
A screening mechanism prevents thehero from traveling to "false alarms" suchas a distressed accountant who just losthis ledgers.
If the hero possesses Dimension Travel,it is automatically incorporated into thisPower to extend its range. The result isthat the Troubleseeker can be drawn tocrises on an infinity of alternate worlds.
If the hero possesses Time Travel, thePower can usurp control of this as well.The hero travels to a random location intime and then teleports to a crisisoccurring within that time place.
The Power does allow the hero to restbetween missions. The Power will notfunction again until 1-10 days after thesuccessful conclusion of the previousmission. If the mission was unsuccessful,the Power functions again 1-10 hoursafter the hero's defeat.
The hero has a -1CS resistance toEmotion attacks. Even worse, a perfectsimulation of the emotions that accom-pany extreme distress can serve as atrap to lure and hold the Troubleseeker.The Troubleseeker cannot leave the 10area limit until he has discovered thedeception and neutralized the source ofthe spurious emotions.
The Troubleseeker resents his Powerand often feels he is a puppet dancing atthe whim of an unseen master. ThePower is controlled by a force beyondthe hero's discovery. Whatever its nature,the Power will never try to get the herokilled. The screening mechanism neverdraws the hero to a crisis that is beyondhis ability to handle, though he might notthink so at the time. If the hero admits orsuffers total defeat, the Power may evenallow him to escape. If the hero is in afatal situation with absolutely no way out,the Judge rolls a red Power FEAT.Success means the hero is teleported tosafety, at the loss of all his Karma.
The Power works against the Trouble-seeker's opponents if they try to carry himaway from the area. Such attempts tohijack the hero proceed normally until the10-area limit is reached. At that point thehero immediately teleports back to hisstarting place, minus whatever hadcarried him away.
As mentioned earlier, the only way toprevent the Troubleseeker's unwantedappearance is to somehow prevent thePower from initially functioning. The
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detection aspect can be temporarilyblinded by such means as MentalInvisibility or Force Field vs. eitherMental or Emotional Attack. If the villainoperates so covertly that no one getsdistressed, this will also do. The key isprevent the hero from receiving thebroadcast emotions.
The second mode of prevention dealswith the analysis aspect. Anything thatcan reduce the hero's Reason or Intuitionto below Typical can prevent him fromrecognizing distress as something thatdemands his attention. Means to this endinclude Hypnotic Control, Emotion,Control, Induced Sleep, Mind Drain, andPsionic Vampirism.
The third mode is simple enough. Thevillain need only negate the hero's abilityto Teleport. Note: the hero may actuallythank the villain for this, if the villain isable to pass himself off as a benefactor.
T21/True Flight: The hero can flythrough air and space without anapparent means of propulsion. This is themost desired Power in the history of theworld. The Power rank determines themaximum speed the hero can attain in aspecific condition. There are threemediums in which a hero can fly. Theslowest form of Flight occurs when thehero torpedoes through the water at theWater Movement rate. Faster speedoccurs when the hero flies through theair at the Air Movement rate. The fastestflight occurs when the hero is free of anyhindering atmospheric friction; this is theSpace Movement rate. Accelerationoccurs at a rate of +1CS per turn.Deceleration occurs at -2CS per turn.
The hero's maneuverability isdetermined by his Agility. The hero maybe able to surpass light speed but if hehas Feeble Agility he is going to need awide turning radius.
True Flight includes as a side effectPower rank resistance to atmosphericfriction and lungs adapted to breathehigh velocity wind. It does not include theability to breathe water or survive therigors of outer space.
When creating the hero, the player candefine the Power in any way that isconsistent with the character or hisequipment.
Optional Powers include BodyResistance, Armor Skin, Self-
Sustenance, and Telekinesis.The Nemesis is Gravity Manipulation.
T22/Water Walking: The hero cantemporarily solidify the surface of the waterto enable him to walk on it without gettingmore than his feet wet. The pathwaysmoothes the water's surface to anaverage wave height and is not affectedby waves of equal or less Intensity.
The path slides along the water'ssurface. This permits the hero to travel atPower rank speed and the WaterMovement rate.
The Path only exists for the hero touse. It is intangible to others unless thehero can physically carry them or directlyextend his Power to them. This can bedone in two ways. One, when the hero iscreated, the player can decrease hisPower rank -1CS by modifying the Powerto extend 10' around the hero. This areawill support others, provided theircombined weight does not exceed thehero's weight limit. The second methodrequires the use of another Power thatcan enable others to independently usethe watery pathway; such Powers includePower Transferral and Creation.
The Power normally functions onlywhen the hero is consciously using it. Thehero can develop a Power Stunt thatenables him to maintain the path's solidityeven when the hero is unconscious.
The Power only affects water itself. Itprovides no protection against anythingwithin the water. For example, a sharkcould rub the hero's soles as he walked.
Water currents and high waves canslow, speed along, or redirect the hero'sprogress. High waves become theequivalent of self-propelled hills. Fastcurrent;s can change the hero's speed.Opposing currents decrease the hero'sspeed by the current's Intensity ranknumber. Supporting currents increase thehero's speed by the same amount.Waves and currents can be natural orcreated by such Powers as MatterAnimation or Weather Control.
The Nemesis is Matter Animation/Liquid.
T23/Whirlwind: The hero can fly bycreating a small cyclone that carries himthrough the air. The hero can travel atPower rank speed but is limited to Shift-Xrank. Maneuverability is determined bythe hero's Agility.
In addition to the hero's body, theWhirlwind can support additional weight.Each additional 500 pounds decreasesthe Whirlwind's speed -1CS. Passengersare not battered by the high winds butare safely held aloft by updrafts in thecyclone's interior. Still, all passengersmust make an Endurance FEAT orbecome air sick.
The Power provides rank levelResistance to Physical and Sonicattacks.
High winds can affect the hero. Strongwinds decrease the Power rank by theirIntensity rank number. If the wind ispowerful enough, the Whirlwind can bedispersed. Such winds can be natural orcreated by such Powers as MatterAnimation or Weather Control.
Optional Powers include WeatherControl and Matter Animation/Air.
These are also the Nemeses.
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INDEX
AAbnormal Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . .DT1Absorption Power . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC1Age-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S1Alter Ego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S2Anatomical Separation . . . . . . . . . . .S3Animal Mimicry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S5Animal Transformation . . . . . . . . . . .S4Animate Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I1Armor Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P1Artifact Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr1Astral Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T1
BBerserker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1Bio-Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L2Biophysical Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L1Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S6Body Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S7Body Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1Body Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S9Body Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P2Body Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . .S8Body Transformation—Others . . . . . .L3Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC1Bouncing Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S10
CCarrier Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T2Catalytic Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC2Chemical Mimicry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S11Chemical Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P3Circular Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT2Clairaudience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M1Clairvoyance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M2Cold Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE1Coldshaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC3Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC2Coloration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCo1Combustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCo2Communicate with Animals . . . . . . .M3Communicate with Cybernetics . . . .M4Communicate with Non-Living . . . . .M5Communicate with Plants . . . . . . . .M6Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC1Cosmic Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . .M7Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC2Crystallization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC3
DDanger Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M8Darkforce Manipulation . . . . . . . . .EC4Digestive Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . .P4Dimension Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T3Diminution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC4Disintegration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCo3Disruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC5Domination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC3
Dreamtravel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M9Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC4
EElectrical Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC5Electrical Generation . . . . . . . . . . .EE2Elemental Conversion . . . . . . . . .MCo4Elemental Creation . . . . . . . . . . .MCr2Elongation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S12Emotion Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L4Empathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M10Enchantment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG1Energy Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S13Energy Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . .EC6Energy Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT3Energy Doppelganger . . . . . . . . . .EE3Energy Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T4Energy Sheath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S14Energy Solidification . . . . . . . . . . .EC7Energy Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG2Energy Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC5Energy Source Creation . . . . . . . . .PC6Energy Sponge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC8Energy Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC9Enlargement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC6Environmental Awareness . . . . . . .DT4Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S15Exorcism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L5Extradimensional . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT5
FFire Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC10Fire Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE4Floating Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T5Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC7Force Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2Force Field vs. Emotion . . . . . . . . . .D3Force Field vs. Energy . . . . . . . . . . .D4Force Field vs. Hostiles . . . . . . . . . .L6Force Field vs. Magic . . . . . . . . . . . .D5Force Field vs. Mental . . . . . . . . . . .D6Force Field vs. Physical . . . . . . . . . .D7Force Field vs. Power Manipulation .D8Force Field vs. Vampirism . . . . . . . .D9Forced Reincarnation . . . . . . . . . . . .L7Free Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M11
GGateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T6Geoforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC7Gestalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC8Gliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T7Grafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L8Gravity Manipulation . . . . . . . . . .EC11Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S16
HHallucinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M12
Hard Radiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE5Hard Radiation Control . . . . . . . .EC12Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE6Hyper-Digging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T8Hyper-Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT6Hyper-Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . .M13Hyper-Invention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M14Hyper-Leaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T9Hyper-Olfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT7Hyper-Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T10Hyper-Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P5Hyper-Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T11Hyper-Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT8Hypnotic Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L9Hypnotic Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P6
IIllusion-Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I2Illusory Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I4Illusory Invisibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I3Imitation-Face Changer . . . . . . . . .S17Imitation-Human Changeling . . . . .S18Incarnation Awareness . . . . . . . . . .M15Internal Limbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG3Invisibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S19Ionization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCo5Iron Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M16
KKinetic Bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE7Kinetic Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC13
LLevitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T12Life Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT9Lifeform Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr3Light Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC14Light Emission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE8Linguistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M17Lung Adaptability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P7
MMachine Animation . . . . . . . . . . . .MC9Magic Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG4Magic Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG5Magic Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT10Magic Domination . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG6Magic Transferral . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG7Magic Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG8Magnetic Manipulation . . . . . . . . .EC15Magnetism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE9Martial Supremacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2Mass Decrease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S20Mass Increase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S21Matter Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC8Mechanical Creation . . . . . . . . . .MCr4Mental Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . .M18Mental Invisibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M19
101
Mental Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M20Micro-Environment . . . . . . . . . . .MC10Microscopic Vision . . . . . . . . . . . .DT11Mind Blast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M21Mind Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L10Mind Drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M22Mind Transferral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L11Missile Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr5Molding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC11Molecular Conversion . . . . . . . . .MCo6Molecular Creation . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr6Molecular Instability . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P9Natural Weaponry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F3
NNemesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC9Neural Manipulation . . . . . . . . . . . .L12
PPenetration Vision . . . . . . . . . . . .DT12Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S22Pheromones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P8Physical Gestalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S23Plague Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L13Plant Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L14Plant Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L15Plant Mimicry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S24Plasma Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC16Plasma Generation . . . . . . . . . . .EE10Plasticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S25Postcognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M23Power Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT13Power Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG9Power Transferral . . . . . . . . . . . .PC10Power Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . .PC11Precognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M24Prehensile Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S26Psionic Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT14Psionic Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . .M25
RRadarsense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT15Radiowave Control . . . . . . . . . . .EC17Radiowave Generation . . . . . . . . .EE11Reality Alteration . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG10Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D10
Regeneration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P10Remote Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M26Residual Absorption . . . . . . . . . . .PC12Resist: Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D11Resist: Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D12Resist: Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D13Resist: Mental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D14Resist: Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D15Resist: Power Manipulation . . . . . .D16Resist: Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . .D17Rocket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T13
SSelection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PC13Self-Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S27Self-Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P11Self-Sustenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P12Self-Vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S28Sense Alteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L16Sensory Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M27Serial Immortality . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M28Shadowcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE12Shadowshaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC18Shapechange-Others . . . . . . . . . . .L17Shapeshifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S29Shrinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S30Skywalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T14Sleep-Induced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L18Sonar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT16Sonic Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE13Sound Manipulation . . . . . . . . . . .EC19Speechthrowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M29Spiderclimb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T15Spirit Gestalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S31Spirit Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L19Spirit Vampirism . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG11Spray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr7Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P13Summoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L20Suspended Animation . . . . . . . . . . .P14Sympathetic Magic . . . . . . . . . . .MG12
TTelekinesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M30Telelocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M31
Telepathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M32Teleport Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T17Teleport Self . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T16Telereformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T18Telescopic Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT17Thermal Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC20Thermal Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT18Time Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T19Total Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M33Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT19Travel Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Code)Troubleseeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T20True Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T21True Invulnerability . . . . . . . . . . . . .P15True Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT20Two-dimensionality . . . . . . . . . . . . .S32
UUndead Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L21UV Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DT21
VVibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EE14Vibration Control . . . . . . . . . . . . .EC21Vocal Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P16
WWarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MG13Water Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P18Water Walking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T22Waterbreathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P17Weakness Creation . . . . . . . . . . .PC14Weakness Detection . . . . . . . . . .DT22Weapons Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4Weapons Tinkering . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MC12Webcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MCr8Whirlwind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T23
ZZombie Animation . . . . . . . . . . . .MC13
102
MOVEMENT TABLE
Land/Water
Areas
1
3
6
9
12
15
25
30
40
50
100
150
250
500
1000
2000
Mph
15
45
90
135
180
225
375
450
600
750
1,500
2,250
3,750
7,500
15,000
30,000
Air
Rank Name
Fe
Pr
Ty
Gd
Ex
Rm
In
Am
Mn
Un
ShX
ShY
ShZ
CL1000
CL3000
CL5000
Areas
3
6
12
15
20
25
30
40
50
150
250
500
1000
2000
—
Hyperspace
Mph
45
90
180
225
300
375
450
600
750
2,250
3,750
7,500
15,000
30,000lightspeed
100 x lightspeed
NUMBER OF SIMULTANEOUS ACTIONS/TARGETS
Rank Name
Fe
Pr
Ty
Gd
Ex
Rm
In
Am
Mn
Un
ShX
ShY
ShZ
CL1000
CL3000
CL5000
A
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
4
5
10
20
50
100
200
B
1
1
2
3
5
10
15
25
40
50
75
100
250
500
1,500
2,500
C
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
4
4
8
20
50
100
1,000
5,000
10,000
D
2
4
6
10
20
30
40
50
75
100
150
250
500
1,000
3,000
5,000
E
2
4
10
25
50
100
200
500
1,000
2,000
5,000
10,000
20,000
50,000
100,000
200,000
